Sunday 4 August 2024

Kilboy House

THE BARONS DUNALLEY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TIPPERARY, WITH 21,081 ACRES

The founder of this noble family in Ireland was COLONEL HENRY PRITTIE or PRETTY as the name is variously spelt (whose brother was Oliver Prittie of London, Lieutenant in Cromwell's army), who served as Captain in a Kentish regiment of Horse which formed part of Cromwell's New Model Army. Prittie, who was an Independent, became Major in 1649 in Cromwell's new Regiment of Horse, and later succeeded to the command.

In 1652 he was Governor of Carlow. Colonel Prittie was High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1650, Tipperary, 1659, and had a grant, or confirmation, from CHARLES II, of Dunalley Castle, and other estates in counties Kerry and Tipperary by patent, in the 18th year of His Majesty's reign. 

Colonel Prittie wedded Honor, fifth daughter of Richard Foley, of Stourbridge, Worcestershire, and had issue,
HENRY;
Honor; Abigail; Elizabeth.
Colonel Prittie died in 1671, having had (with three daughters) a son,

HENRY PRITTIE, of Kilboy and Dunalley, Captain of Horse, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1706, who sustained a siege of twenty-one days, in his castle against the disbanded soldiers of of the royal army of JAMES II after the battle of the Boyne; when the besiegers at length entering, Mr Prittie was flung headlong from the top of the castle, but miraculously escaped unhurt.

He married Elizabeth, sister of Charles Alcock, of Powerstown, County Tipperary, and died in 1691, having had issue,
HENRY, his successor;
Richard;
Priscilla; Elizabeth; Honora; Catherine; Judith.
The elder son,

HENRY PRITTIE (1683-1738), of Kilboy, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1706, espoused, in 1702, Elizabeth, only daughter and heir of Colonel James Harrison, of Cloughjordan, MP for County Tipperary, 1707-13, and had issue, with three daughters, an only son,

HENRY PRITTIE (1708-68), of Kilboy, MP for County Tipperary, 1761-8, wedded, in 1736, Deborah, daughter of the Ven. Benjamin O'Neale, Archdeacon of Leighlin, and had issue,
HENRY, his successor;
Deborah; Elizabeth; Catherine; Martha; Margaret; Hannah.
Mr Prittie was succeeded by his son,

HENRY PRITTIE (1743-1801), of Dunalley, who espoused, in 1766, Catherine, second daughter and co-heir of Francis Sadlier, of Sopwell Hall, County Tipperary, widow of John Bury, and mother, by him, of Charles William, Earl of Charleville, and had issue,
HENRY, his successor;
Francis Aldborough, MP;
Catherine; Deborah; Mary; Martha; Elizabeth.
Mr Prittie, MP for Banagher, 1767-8, Gowran, 1769-76, County Tipperary, 1776-90, was elevated to the peerage, in 1800, in the dignity of BARON DUNALLEY, of Kilboy, County Tipperary.
The heir apparent is the present holder's son, the Hon Joel Henry Prittie.
The 4th Baron was the last Lord-Lieutenant of County Tipperary, from 1905 until 1922.

Henry Francis Cornelius Prittie, 7th and present Lord Dunalley, lives in Oxfordshire.

A note in the Dunalley Papers records the sale of the Kerry estate of this family to the Crosbies in 1742 for £1,500.


KILBOY HOUSE, near Nenagh, County Tipperary, was a middle to late 18th century house built for Henry Prittie MP, afterwards 1st Lord Dunalley, to the design of William Leeson.

It had three storeys over a basement; a five-bay entrance front with a central pediment; and four large, engaged Doric columns.

The top storey was treated as an attic above the cornice.

There was a five-bay side elevation.

Lord Dunalley & Party standing on steps

The mansion was burnt in 1922 and afterwards rebuilt minus the top storey.

About 1955, the house was demolished and a single-storey house in the Georgian style was built over the original basement.

More recently permission was granted for the reconstruction of a new Kilboy House, by the prominent businessman and philanthropist, Tony Ryan.


The project followed a fire that destroyed a large part of the property in 2005.

The local council granted planning permission for the partial demolition of the existing fire-damaged, listed, single-storey dwelling.

The former three-storey period residence over basement, based on the Georgian mansion house, has been built.


The application, in the name of Tony Ryan's son, Shane, and his wife, stated that the aim was to rebuild the house as it was originally constructed in 1780.

Before reconstruction began, the Ryans paid €60,964 to the council as a contribution to providing public infrastructure such as roads and water.

First published in January, 2012.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Obviously his great grandson was one of the band of corrupt politicians who sold out the Irish Parliament in return for cash and peerages at the behest of a corrupting campaign by Westminster to bring about the Act of Union. A greater scoundrel could not be found. As his great grandfather had rebelled against the king and profited massively from his disloyalty with free lands in Ireland to the value in today's money of €420,000,000 , seized from loyal subjects one can see where he gained his genetic makeup for infamy! Being an officer, even in a cavalry regiment in the New Model Army does not make one a gentleman, not even a temporary gentleman!
Great article otherwise. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Oil oh House was bought in the 1980's by Tony Ryan, founder of RyanAir and Guinness Peat Aviation, his son Shane lived there until a recent fire affecting the rooms above the surviving Georgian cellars. He took the oportunity to rebuild the house, including lavish plasterwork to the original design of the original Georgian house and the result has just won an architecture award. See online Irish Times planning issues and architectural awards pieces.

Andrew said...

When I lived in Tipp I remember the Countess of Wessex staying with Mr Ryan. Somewhere near Upperchurch? Is that the same place?