‘Thatch’ll’ do nicely for Coyle’s Cottage

Coyle’s Cottage, one of the last remaining fishermen’s cottages along the lough shore, has been re-thatched.

The 300-year-old cottage, situated close to the shores of Lough Neagh, is only a short distance from the historic Ardboe Cross.

Muintirevlin Historical Society restored the cottage with the help of a grant from the Historical Heritage Department less than 30 years ago and it officially opened its doors on May 15, 1993.

The listed building was primarily constructed with local clay, whins, bramble and heather – the corners being secured by large stones.

The roof of the cottage was assembled using ‘bog oak’ beams obtained from the local ‘moss’ – and the original thatch materials consisted of either straw or loughshore reed.

The most recent thatching was supported by ‘Heritage and Environmental department NI’ and was professionally carried out by Ivor Kilpatrick of Raphoe.

The cottage has four small windows, a half door, an open grate and a cranecrook.

There is a combined living and kitchen area as well as a cordoned off area for the bedroom – and the exterior is whitewashed with lime mixture.

To this day, Coyle’s Cottage still has many uses – playing a vital role in keeping history alive in Ardboe and further afield.

The cottage currently functions as a base for Muintirevlin Historical Society. It’s a venue for weekly meetings of a woman’s group, as well as the prime location for history lectures and traditional music nights.