Everybody requires some form of shelter. It is a basic human need and right. There are many different types of shelter in Ireland today, from very modern houses to apartment buildings to the big houses in the Irish countryside. However one form of shelter is most associated with Ireland and that is the thatched vernacular house. It was the home of the common Irish people who worked their plots of land. This study will look at the thatched vernacular houses that can be found over a wide area in south- east Co. Limerick. It will look at the history of these structures, the protection provided in order to preserve and maintain them for future generations and the type of work that goes into developing these houses from the whole process of thatching the roof, to the interior of the house. This study will, in particular offer a view into thatched vernacular architecture for its readers.

Dermot Mc Enery is a graduate in Heritage Studies at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. He is a resident of Kilfinane in Co. Limerick where this research is based.