Thatched roofs like this one are becoming a thing of the past in Ireland. 
We all know the idealized-John-Wayne-from-The-Quiet-Man thing, the cottage with the thatched roof. Now they are going away — replaced by slate. I'm told by a reputable operator of a B &B (is there another kind?) that their disappearance is brought about because of the lack of skilled roof thatchers in the country.
It's a fading art, a craft that is disappearing, he said. There are so few to maintain and repair them that people have gone to slate.
This may be as true as elephants flying cross-country, but it made sense. And to those of us with Irish roots, it's a sad development and yet one more element of the culture that is fading away.
Alas, everything fades. Except the head on a Guiness. Thank goodness THAT part of life is dependable and made to last.