Directions to Grenane House, situated in Co Tipperary, implore visitors to ensure that they shut the gates in their wake, as they proceed along the driveway. In addition to being a residence, the property is also an operational stud farm, surrounded by fields where numerous foals frolic.
Upon arrival at Grenane House, visitors are typically greeted by Philippa Mansergh Wallace. Grenane House has been the family abode, in one form or another, since the 1700s, with an addition made in 1740. Though it’s uncertain how many ancient Irish homes have remained within the same family for three centuries, Grenane House ranks among them. Open to the public on specified days each year, anyone can pay it a visit.
As one of the historic Irish homes and gardens, Grenane is eligible for section 482 tax relief, a scheme that offers tax-free relief to homeowners for certain renovations or maintenance to the approved building or garden. In exchange, homeowners must open their properties to public visits for a minimum of 60 days per year, one of which must coincide with Heritage Week, running this year from August 17th to 25th.
The opening hours for section 482 properties vary, with some levying a nominal charge for tours. At Grenane, tours of specific rooms and the garden come at a cost of €20. The distinguishing feature, however, is that tours are led by the house owner, Mansergh Wallace, herself an inhabitant and someone brought up in it. This is a common feature among section 482 properties.
Grenane House has never suffered any damage over the years and has preserved its original Wyatt window, according to Mansergh Wallace. During the Famine, her forebears provided employment opportunities to the local populace through a project that involved construction of a wall, inclusive of a walled garden. She believes that these altruistic actions undertaken by her ancestors safeguarded Grenane from being attacked during the Civil War. Local residents formed a protective ring around the property, barring anyone from entering.
This family dwelling is one of Ireland’s most ancient inhabited residences, a property that has never changed hands via purchase or sale. Initially, the estate encompassed 2,000 acres, but thanks to an ancestor’s excessive spending, 1,700 acres were squandered. Nevertheless, the remaining land, while not extravagant, is still expansive by common residential standards. Mansergh Wallace describes the house as modest, containing eight bedrooms and five reception rooms.
We find ourselves in an exquisite Georgian room, maintaining its authentic walnut and mahogany Georgian bookshelves, contrasted by a contemporary large sofa and television. The presence of thrillers and Winston Churchill memoirs on the shelves demonstrates that it’s a historic house that functions as a living family home.
In some of the rooms, original architectural details are still intact. The drawing room flaunts an authentic Wedgwood frieze and another holds an Adam’s fireplace. “Although I visit all the rooms daily,” says Wallace, “it would be misleading to claim that all of them see daily usage.”
Family portraits strewn across the house add a personal touch. One of note is of Alexander Seton, credited with coining “women and children first.” He made this declarative statement when the vessel he was on, the Birkenhead, met a tragic end off Cape Town in 1852. The influential author, Elizabeth Bowen, a cousin to the Mansergh clan, originally hailed from this house. Though, sadly, her residence of Bowen’s Court has been long demolished.
The hallway houses a tribute to seven family members who lost their lives in World War I, some of whom lay in unmarked graves. Part of the poignant tribute are two ceramic poppies, symbolic of the 888,246 poppies that were part of a dramatic 2014 installation at the Tower of London’s moat, each flower representing a soldier’s life taken in the war. An old pair of boots, property of her grandfather, rests under this display, a silent tribute to a man who lost his beloved Irish hunter horse at Passchendaele.
Exciting tales abound on this extraordinary house tour, intricacies shared while exploring some of the upstairs bedrooms. One room is reserved for a London-based daughter, while the other, called “the Cat Room” due to Victorian artist Louis Wain’s original illustrations, serves as a guest room. One ancestor even made his daring escape to Australia from this very room. Furthermore, a portrait adorns the wall, scarred by hits from young Mansergh Wallace’s tennis balls, an act her mother found quite appalling.
A spacious secondary living area can be found within the residence, adorned with a host of equine-related accolades. Numerous voluminous sacks brimming with decorative ribbons, a significant proportion of which bear testament to a daughter’s impressive side-saddle riding talent. The room once housed a significant billiards table, which is no more and a plethora of taxidermied animal heads – relics from past hunting conquests. The removal of these pieces was the decision of Mansergh Wallace’s mother.
A charming garden terrace, crafted by a familial matriarch, invites us outdoors to explore the ample garden grounds. Mansergh Wallace exudes a sense of pride recounting her lineage as she signals towards various painted renditions during the house tour, but her appreciation for her verdant oasis is equally palpable. Every individual sapling that she’s nurtured holds a special place in her heart, with an ambitious aspiration of cultivating every variant of beech tree in existence.
A walled garden holds historical significance as part of the estate’s response to the Famine; In the year 1946 the garden was maintained by a diligent team of seven full-time gardeners, every item of produce consumed by the family was grown within the walled kitchen garden. “Our self-sufficiency was absolute. Surplus yield was retailed in the town.” apples were also grown in the estate’s orchards. Currently, a lone gardener tends to the garden weekly during spring and summer. In comparison to the previous staff count of eight in the residence.
I am guided through what is claimed to be the “sole hazelwood pathway in Ireland”, an enchanting tunnel formed by hazel trees, an undertaking of her grandfather’s. Every corner carries its own tale. A lined arch of wisteria presents a pathway to a dedicated rose plot. An archway of laburnum. A vast pond is in plain view. The sheer scale of the garden could accommodate a game of hide and seek with hundreds of participants, keeping them well concealed.
Situated in a tranquil area, a noteworthy pet cemetery can be found, serving as a monument to the various dogs and cats that have passed on from the property. An engraving states, “Paws For Thought,” which is a tradition dating back to 1910. The hounds remembered here include Fido, Sooty, Twinkle, Sparkle, Scamp, and Harry Spotter, a Dalmatian by breed. The felines, on the other hand, include Whiskey, Splodge, Smudge, Tootles, and Bubbles. Currently, there isn’t a dog on the property, but the arrival of a stray is usually anticipated, and it subsequently becomes the new dog of the house. Cupid, the dog who recently passed away, is still awaiting his name to be etched alongside his predecessors.
Upon entering the dining area, with its spellbinding pitch pine ceiling, a massive table for two is prepared. At first thought, it appeared that the table setting was for a meal being shared by Mansergh Wallace and her spouse, but it was, instead, meant for us. As we sip the aromatic Earl Grey and relish freshly baked scones, it feels like a scene straight out of a charming period film. It’s worth noting that the owner’s tea and scones aren’t a standard inclusion in the usual section 482 tour.
Maintaining such a sprawling property is persistently challenging. Mansergh Wallace particularly fears stormy weather, as every dislodged rooftop slate comes with a €75 replacement expense. According to her, they undertake one substantial project for the property or its contents annually, or sometimes a small task. The previous year saw the restoration of the Wyatt windows, while this year, it’s an old rocking horse – “which wasn’t even new when I got it” – that’s been sent away for refurbishment. She recollects her mother’s words that keeping this house in good shape is a constant effort – much like keeping a paintbrush in constant motion.
It’s amusing to her, the questions that she’s been asked by visitors over the years. Queries like, “Why do you choose to inhabit such a large property? Wouldn’t a bungalow suffice?” To which she can’t provide a solid answer. Another comical statement she heard was when they were taking a stroll in the garden, with visitors commenting, ‘The birds are rather loud.’ Her response: ‘It’s not exactly simple to mute or unmute them.’
Regalia from childhood, inclusive of cats, dogs and impromptu tennis games against paintings, encompass the treasured memories of Mansergh Wallace, an only child, at her grand home. Her husband later joined her at this expansive residence. The Grenane House, located in Tipperary with the postcode E34 EP22, welcomes visitors from 17th to 25th August, and again from 1st to 30th September, although it’s shut on Sundays between 2 and 6 pm. Pricing is set at €20 for adults, and €10 for students or OAPs. Further details can be found at hfhtours.ie. For information on the opening hours of the Section 482 property houses and gardens, please refer to https://www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/documents/section-482-heritage-properties.pdf.