Don't get carried away the next time you spy a traditional thatched cottage or pub - the chances are it is an imposter. It is likely the thatch or reeds were imported from the Czech Republic, Poland or Hungary, and so were the willow rods, which were probably driven into the roof by a thatcher imported from England.
You would probably have to travel miles into rural Ireland to find the last genuine examples of an Irish thatched roof.
Last week in Athlone, the Heritage Council hosted a one-day seminar on the future of the most powerful symbol of traditional Irish architecture.
The council, which awards grants for the genuine article, hosted the conference in the Hodson Bay Hotel and put forward its consultation document, "Irish Thatched Roofs: Is their future a thing of the past?"
Ms Mary Hanna, architectural officer with the Heritage Council, said there was an immediate need for a thatching school to be established to preserve the skills. "We were delighted that 38 thatchers turned up, along with architects, house-owners, materials' suppliers and organisations interested in the subject," she said.
They were speaking about an industry under threat, suffering from skill shortages, lack of suitable native material, inadequate grants and high insurance costs.
"There emerged a clear demand for a training centre with recognised thatching standards, which should probably be allied to the construction industry," she said.
There were many complaints about the lack of appropriate materials for thatching. The length of Irish-grown straw is too short to do the job and reed beds and willow are no longer being managed.
She said most of the materials being used by thatchers were imported from Eastern European countries such as Poland, Hungary or the Czech Republic and so were the river reeds.
"The use of this imported material, straw and reed, raises the question about the heritage component of this traditional craft," she said.
The idea of providing incentives to farmers to grow thatch was also raised, but as the straw comprised only 20 per cent of the value of cereals, this solution looked very difficult.
She said the changing lifestyles of thatchers and the owners of thatched buildings posed a threat to the future of the craft.
"The age profile of the former is rising as fewer young thatchers come into the trade. Owners were traditionally farmers who would carry out ongoing repair work on roofs at harvest time. This is becoming less often the case and the overall state of the remaining thatched homes is suffering as a result."
She said she was very pleased with the outcome of the seminar, which will help devise a policy for the future of thatching in the State.