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The roofspace in the Stonemason's Cottage
The roofspace in the Stonemason's Cottage
We wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the use of locally sourced timbers, expert carpentry, wood carving and stonemasonry has left us with a heritage roof structure that is close to 200 years old and still standing. The history of the ‘Cruck Truss’ and the fact that we have good examples at the Stonemason’s Cottage in Ballyrory also means that we can appreciate the skill and expertise that went into the building of rural cottages in the mid-19th Century in the Learmount area.
The detail and design of the standard roof truss (see photo below) that supports the roof of our house, is something we rarely have to think about unless we have a problem with storm damage, do a loft conversion or want to re-roof our house. For many centuries however, the internal wooden structure of the roof of any house is central to the overall look and shape of the house, protects us in storms and extreme weather, and helps with heating and energy efficiency. While there are thousands of different designs and roof structures across the world, the most robust internal roof structure throughout history is the ‘Cruck Truss’ .
A photo of the Cruck Truss in 2024
A photo of the Cruck Truss in 2024
The Cruck also became popular in Scotland and Ireland where there was an abundance of high quality Oak and Elm trees. Wooden dowels were used throughout. Any collar beams, collar ties or purlins that were required to steady the Truss were all made by hand, a 100% wooden structure.
A digital image of how it may have looked in the 1800's [ ChatGPT (OpenAI) generated]
A digital image of how it may have looked in the 1800's [ ChatGPT (OpenAI) generated]
Trusses in the cottage in Ballyrory (erected circa 1841) are all built into the wall heads. In this case, the walls are also supporting the roof. This is a very distinct style that came from North Donegal where the Deenys (O ‘Duibhne) who built the cottage at Ballyrory, originated from. One of most intriguing feature of the ‘Cruck Trusses’ in Ballyrory is the quality of stone building and use of lime mortar in and around the Truss-end, securing it firmly into the wall head ( See photo below) . Having knowledge and expertise in Stonemasonry made it possible to confidently use this method of designing and constructing the Crusk Truss.
An image of the wall head in 2025
An image of the wall head in 2025
It is important to note that the cottage in Ballyrory was built into the hillside( Sliabh Bui) and facing North-east. This effectively meant that the prevailing wind (South-Westerlies) were blowing over the roof, reducing the pressure on the roof structure and perhaps reducing any need to use a more open Cruck that would have gone part of the way down the wall. Furthermore, Cruck Trusses were normally made and assembled on the ground and then hoisted up to a vertical position. At Ballyrory, it is likely to be the case that the walls of the house were built at least 2/3 of the way up before the Trusses were hoisted into place. This meant that the Stonemasons were then able to complete the building of the walls and secure the Truss-ends into the wall head. All in, it was a highly skilled process.
An image of the wall head as it may have been in the 1800's [ ChatGPT (OpenAI) generated]
An image of the wall head as it may have been in the 1800's [ ChatGPT (OpenAI) generated]
It is important to note that the cottage in Ballyrory was built into the hillside( Sliabh Bui) and facing North-east. This effectively meant that the prevailing wind (South-Westerlies) were blowing over the roof, reducing the pressure on the roof structure and perhaps reducing any need to use a more open Cruck that would have gone part of the way down the wall. Furthermore, Cruck Trusses were normally made and assembled on the ground and then hoisted up to a vertical position. At Ballyrory, it is likely to be the case that the walls of the house were built at least 2/3 of the way up before the Trusses were hoisted into place. This meant that the Stonemasons were then able to complete the building of the walls and secure the Truss-ends into the wall head. All in, it was a highly skilled process.
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