Shannon Grove, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick 

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. 258. “(Bury/IFR; Waller/IFR; Armitage/LG1969) A very distinguished small early C18 house by the side of the Shannon estuary; begun ca 1709 by John Bury and completed ca 1723 by his son William; the architect seems likely to have been one of the Rothery family. Of two storeys over a basement, with a dormered attic in the high pitched roof. The entrance front and the front facing the river are both of five bays; but whereast the entrance front has a fairly simple doorcase with a segmental pediment (dated 1709), the river front doorcase (dated 1723) is splendidly baroque and incorporates a cartouche of arms; and it stands at the head of a much more impressive flight of steps than the entrance door does, owing to the basement being much higher on this side; doubtless a precaution against flooding. The roof is crowned with two tall and massive chimneystacks of patterned brickwork. All the main rooms have fielded panelling and there is a staircase of fine joinery with alternate barley sugar balusters. The house is flanked by two “L” shaped detached wings, with mullion and transom windows. Originally these wings had curvilinear gables on the entrance front. Shannon Grove was for some years post WWII the home of Mr and Mrs R.W. Armitage. It is now the home of Mr and Mrs John W. Griffith.” 

https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/21900308/shannongrove-shannongrove-co-limerick

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Detached five-bay two-storey over basement country house, built c. 1709 and completed in c. 1723, with extensions to sides. Hipped roof with dormered attic and two tall chimneystacks of patterned brickwork. Square-headed window openings. Simple doorcase with segmental pediment to entrance front dated 1709, Baroque styled doorcase to garden front dated 1723 with a flight of steps leading to it. Roughcast rendered walls. House flanked by two L-shaped detached wings with mullion and transom windows. Pigeon house to east of house with a honeycombed in terior. 

Appraisal 

This is a very distinguished early eighteenth-century house, which was begun by John Bury and completed by his son, William, was designed by an architect who may have been one of the Rothery family. It is a highly significant house in terms of its style, along with the decorative elements such as the doorcases and the tall, massive patterned brick chimneystacks. It is sited significantly on the south shore of the Shannon estuary and the different doorway treatment on the river side underlines the importance of the riverine elevation. The survival of the pigeon house adds further technical interest in terms of the honeycombed interior which survives in this demesne related building. 

https://archiseek.com/2016/1709-shannon-grove-co-limerick

1709 – Shannon Grove, Co. Limerick 

Completed around 1709 in a Dutch-Palladian style, Shannon Grove is a fine medium sized Irish country houses. It has a central block with small symmetrical wings, and particularly fine brick chimneys. Possibly constructed by mason John O’Brien for landowner John Bury. 

http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-list.jsp?letter=S 

Originally the home of the Bury family, Earls of Charleville, overlooking the Shannon estuary. The Ordnance Survey Name Books record this house as four-storied, built in 1709. Bence Jones dates this house from the early 18th century. Lewis writes that Shannon Grove was the old family mansion of the Earls of Charleville and “now the residence of Bolton Waller”. Bolton Waller held the property in fee in the early 1850s when the buildings were valued at £43 and the demesne was over 400 acres. Bought by John Sheehy of Askeaton in 1860 and remained in the possession of his descendants until the mid 20th century. The house is still extant and occupied.