matt the thatcher
I started my thatching career/journey 31 years ago under the guiding eye of Peter Brockett. Peter was brought over from Bedfordshire, England, to give a two year thatching course by what was then FÁS. It was to be a very successful course, against all the odds, with an 80% success rate of which surpassed all other courses. To date, 31 years later, there are still 50% of that course still working as thatchers. When you consider the revenue of that bunch of thatchers to the rural community, our traditions and heritage, and poems alone...then one can begin to put into context the importance of this gentleman thatcher.
It was also a measure of the gentleman that was Peter Brockett. Peter opened up a whole other world of thatching, he showed us that thatch was indeed a fine roof, that could see up to 40 years, and not the seven year roof that we were accustomed to in Ireland, and especially here in the south east. Peter also opened up the "art" of thatch to us and that it could be a beautiful way of life and a beautiful avenue for artistic expression, to sit back at the end of a day and take joy in what you have created...is without doubt a rare blessing these days.
Unfortunately, there were to be two downfalls! One, was Peter was to be taken at the age of 48. To put his input into context...I remember looking through Gaudis work some years back, the one thing besides his work, and the uniqueness of it, was the amount of it, and the amount of influence he created through his work and passion that is still inspiring today...The influence Peter had on all of us with his passion and knowledge of the craft still lives on today in all of us...to be the best you can.
The second downfall was that the course we did was two years too short! The missing two years would have given us the knowledge we needed to make our careers that bit easier, as thatching is such a complex craft. We spent the next 20 years learning what we should have learned in that 2 years.
It was also a measure of the gentleman that was Peter Brockett. Peter opened up a whole other world of thatching, he showed us that thatch was indeed a fine roof, that could see up to 40 years, and not the seven year roof that we were accustomed to in Ireland, and especially here in the south east. Peter also opened up the "art" of thatch to us and that it could be a beautiful way of life and a beautiful avenue for artistic expression, to sit back at the end of a day and take joy in what you have created...is without doubt a rare blessing these days.
Unfortunately, there were to be two downfalls! One, was Peter was to be taken at the age of 48. To put his input into context...I remember looking through Gaudis work some years back, the one thing besides his work, and the uniqueness of it, was the amount of it, and the amount of influence he created through his work and passion that is still inspiring today...The influence Peter had on all of us with his passion and knowledge of the craft still lives on today in all of us...to be the best you can.
The second downfall was that the course we did was two years too short! The missing two years would have given us the knowledge we needed to make our careers that bit easier, as thatching is such a complex craft. We spent the next 20 years learning what we should have learned in that 2 years.
