Knockgraffon Rectory (and Castle), Newinn, Co Tipperary
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 178. “A charming little Georgian “doll’s house” built ca 1794 by Rev Nicholas Herbert, father of the diarist and authoress Dorothea Herbert; who was Rector of Carrick-on-Suir, where he normally lived, as well as of Knockgraffon; but who was ordered by his Archbishop to spend three months of every year here. Dorothea thought that the new Glebe had the appearance of a “neat English one,” but found the surroundings “barren: after Carrick; the society too, was not up to Carrick society; though it was here that she met and conceived her hopeless passion for a neighbouring young squire, John Roe, of Rockwell. The house was originally of two storeys and three bays; pedimented doorcse with blocking flanked by sidelights. A third storey was added in C19, and also a two storey one bay service wing at one side.”
http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/tipperary/knockgraffon/knockgraffon.html
Map Reference: S049296 (2049, 1296)
Knockgraffon Castle is a tower- house standing to full height with gables in the north and south. There is an intact bartizan at the NE corner, with a fragment of a bartizan at the SW corner. The tower is possibly four storeys high plus attic and the entrance appears to be in the south wall. There is a spiral stairway at the NW corner at the upper level and there may be mural chambers along the west wall. There are chimneys in the east and west walls. The large window gap in the north wall may indicate a later occupation and there appears to be a large amount of plaster on the inside walls.
A close inspection of the castle is not normally possible. The photographs were taken in 1982 when it was possible to walk around the outside of the building. The interior could not be fully explored due to its ruinous and unsafe condition. I returned in 1988 but a ‘Keep Out’ sign on the gateway of the field prevented close inspection. I tried again in 2006 but now find that the gateway no longer exists and there does not appear to be any easy access. The hedge has grown tall and thick so even a distant photograph is not possible. If anyone has any detailed photographs or information about Knockgraffon Castle which they would like to add to this page please e-mail me.
See Theobald Butler on family tree, 1773-1810
Detached double-pile three-bay three-storey over basement former rectory, built 1789-90, top storey being later addition, with slightly recessed two-storey over basement extension to south-west. Pitched slate roofs with slightly projecting rendered end chimneystacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. Painted roughcast render to upper storeys, painted smooth render to ground floor, with tooled limestone plinth. Painted smooth render platband to first floor sill level. Square-headed window openings with tooled limestone sills and timber sliding sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor, six-over-three pane to first floor and six-over-six pane to ground floor. One-over-one pane windows to addition. Square-headed door opening with pedimented cut limestone surround flanked by barred square-headed timber sliding sash one-over-two pane sidelights. Interior shutters to windows, staircase to entrance hall. Castellated screen wall, ruled-and-lined rendered wall and round-headed arch in dresed sandstone wall to yard of outbuildings. Rendered outbuildings with pitched slate roofs, square-headed timber battened doors with paned overlights and segemental-arched carriage entrances. Walled garden to north-east with cut-stone entrance with keystone and decorative cast-iron gate. Coursed rubble sandstone boundary walls to road with cut-stone gate piers having carved caps.
Appraisal
An attractive glebe house built by Rev. Nicholas Herbert, father of diarist and author Dorothea Herbert in whose writings, entitled ‘Retrospections 1770 – 1806’, there appeared a simple drawing of the dwelling in its earlier two-storey form. Historically the house is associated with stories of Dorothea’s descent into madness when the object of her affections, John Roe Esq., then resident of the nearby Rockwell House, rebuffed her advances. The elegantly composed, simple classical proportions of the house, articulated by the diminishing windows and finely cut pedimented doorcase, give it a sense of restrained grandeur most suitable to its function. The house retains a good example of a main internal staircase located in the entrance hall passing visibly behind a window on the front façade. The complex comprising the house, walled garden and outbuildings has been carefully maintained ensuring the original character of the buildings now remains substantially intact. The buildings, occupying an elevated site recessed from the road, forms a pleasant and interesting group in the landscape.
Irish Historic Houses 