About Us
William P. Cahill, Thatcher Extraordinaire, was born in Ireland and raised on the west coast in the town of Galway. As is common for many ancient Irish crafts, William has had the privilege to work under many Irish Master Thatchers and seanachie (raconteurs, storytellers) during his 5 year apprenticeship. He honed his skill of many traditional thatching techniques from all over Ireland.
William worked with and learned from his good friend the late great English Master Thatcher Peter Brockett, who was the head of thatch training school for the English Thatchers Association. He also travelled to England and Holland to learn other European thatching techniques.
William is always eager to work with new materials and learn new thatching techniques, which he has continued to expand his thatching repertoire by travelling to Asia and Africa.
William was personally honored by a reading of The Thatcher by the Nobel Laureate Poet Seamus Heaney. He received a signed copy of the poem after the reading’s completion.
William Cahill met the only thatcher working in the United States since the 1950s, he was none other than Peter Slevin Master Thatcher from county Donegal. He became William’s mentor and was instrumental in advising that he work on the prestigious Jamestown church project. William was sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute.
Back to Top“I get great satisfaction out of watching the evolution of a thatch roof from start to finish and I feel that I work in harmony with nature.”
William Cahill
About Thatching
Thatch is a green roofing technology! Our Thatch Green Roofs can help a building owner achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification in a number of categories. Many states and cities have implemented incentive structures, including tax credits and avoidance of fees assessed for impervious surface cover.
A thatchroof provides a lifetime of beauty and function, which we feel all discerning clients desire. Thatch provides terrific insulation, which will keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. On top of thermal insulation, the thickness of a thatch roof (6"-12") provides amazing sound dampening. As a vegetative material, water-reed thatch roofing allows your house to blend into the landscape. William saw the importance of practicing a "green" trade long before there was such a term.
Thatch is one of the oldest forms of roofing known. It has been used for centuries because it is made from sustainable natural material and is very versatile. Water reeds have been used in the United States by Spanish Traders since the 1500's as well as by the Pilgrims and Jamestown settlers in the 1600's. These buildings and structures bring with them the romance and charm of the olde world.
We can advise on design and installation for your project. Contact us today!
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