House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in rolling pastureland. A gable-ended, six-bay seventeenth-century house, two storeys over a basement with projecting block to the rear. Two-bay central breakfront, with entrance porch added in the twentieth century. Original cut limestone Gibbsian doorcase with semi-circular shaped pediment decorated with a coat of arms and the date 1695. Underneath the coat of arms was the D'Alton family motto 'Fortis et fidelis' meaning Strong and Faithful' (Burke 1832). The doorcase and steps leading up to it have been removed and inserted into Glebe House at Killeisk. Grenanstown House is rendered with concrete. One corner of the projecting return is exposed showing limestone quoins, one of which is roughly dressed with drafting at the edge. The stairs is in the projecting return at the rear of the house and the balustrades rest on the balustrade rail. The Civil Survey (1654-6) refers to an 'old stumpe of a Castle' (TN021-081001-) at Grenanstown (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 220), however, there is no visible trace of this building above ground. John Grace is listed as proprietor in 1640 (ibid.). The forfeited castle and lands of Grenanstown belonging to John Grace were granted c. 1656 to an officer in the Parliamentarian army called Captain Salt (Murphy 1994, 140). In 1666 the lands of Grenanstown were probably purchased by Peter D'Alton of Dundonnell, Co. Westmeath (ibid.). Grenanstown House was probably built by the D'Alton family in the late 17th century on the site of the medieval castle (TN021-081001-). Christopher D'Alton of Grenanstown died in 1793 he was Chamberlain and Colonel of the Guards to His Electoral Highness of Saxony (D'Alton 1855, 371). In the 19th century Grenanstown House was the seat of Count Peter D'Alton who was high sheriff of Tipperary in 1839 (Burke 1838, 1144)
Grenanstown House was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as a 'Detached six-bay two-storey over half basement house, built c. 1800, but incorporating fabric of late-seventeenth century house. Two-bay breakfront with three-bay entrance porch with flat roof and rendered brick walls, now disused. Pitched slate roof, partly collapsed, with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins. Square-headed window openings to main block and porch, with moulded render surrounds, with one-over-one pane timber sash windows. Square-headed door opening with evidence of removed block-and-start doorcase. Single-storey outbuildings to site with segmental-headed openings' (www.buildingsofireland.ie).

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien.

Date of revised upload: 12 July 2016

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1934 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. II: county of Tipperary - Western and Northern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Murphy, D.A. 1994 The two Tipperarys: the national and local politics - devolution and self-determination - of the unique 1838 division into two ridings, and the aftermath. Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Relay.

Burke, J. 1832 A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British empire, Volume 2. London. Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley.

D'Alton, J. 1855 Illustrations, Historical and Genealogical, of King James's Irish Army List, (1689) Dublin. Author