Thatch from scratch

THATCHER Matt Whelan is hoping to move up the property ladder, and the sale of Sandy Ropes in Wexford's Kilmore Key is step one along the way.

Already one of the best-known of the country's new generation of thatchers, he and his business partner Frank Scanlon are moving into the development of one-off houses - very one-off.

They have built this house from scratch just outside the popular Wexford resort village, and once it is sold they intend to move on site for another unique thatched home. This one is modelled on designs by the 18th century architect John Nash, and among his surviving works is the ancient Cottage Orné in Kilkenny owned by potter Nicholas Mosse.