One of the most potent symbols of Irish heritage could be under threat of extinction because of a lack of suitable insurance cover. Thatched cottages, a feature of the rural landscape since the late 18th century, have in recent weeks been dealt a potentially fatal blow with news that a Lloyds syndicate is no longer prepared to underwrite insurance on their structures.

It is thought that the owners of the approximately 2,500 original thatched properties, mostly on the eastern side of the country, could be facing into a future without insurance.

Insurance broker Mr Michael Brown, whose company Kidd Insurances has traditionally handled this kind of business, believes the problem may be sufficiently serious to eliminate many of the familiar whitewashed cottages from the countryside.

"It's an issue that's a terrible shame. This is a part of our heritage that people should be able to retain," he said.

Authentic thatched structures, which are usually covered with straw, are considered to present higher insurance risks than more conventional properties because of the highly combustible nature of their roofs. In an environment where insurers have lost much of their appetite for risk after taking a massive hit following last year's September 11th tragedies, thatched cottages are judged too risky to be attractive in insurance terms.

"It's a small element of a much larger problem," says Mr Brown, adding that he has received four inquiries about insurance for thatched cottages this week alone. So far, he has been unable to find an alternative underwriter for his clients.

The Heritage Council considers the threat to thatching so serious that it has produced a policy paper calling for in-depth research on the specific insurance risks attached to the cottages. The council is also seeking a quantitative analysis on the number of authentic cottages that remain in existence.

"If we want to keep this very powerful symbol of Ireland's landscape, we must help people to look after them," said Ms Mary Hanna, an architect with the council.

Mr Ian Lumley, heritage officer with An Taisce, said the insurance problem had presented "very regrettable concerns" for the preservation of thatching around the country.

"The difficulty is that no proper national lobby has been there to represent the interests of thatched houses with insurers," said Mr Lumley, who described thatched cottages as "one of the most distinctive contributions to Irish architectural history".