Kilboy House

THE PRITTIE FAMILY,  BARONS DUNALLEY, WERE THE THIRD LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY TIPPERARY, WITH 21,081 ACRES

The founder of this noble family in Ireland was COLONEL HENRY PRITTIE who, for his loyalty and eminent services to the crown, during the civil wars, had a grant, or confirmation, from CHARLES II, of Dunalley Castle, and other estates in County Tipperary, by Patent, in 1678.

Colonel Prittie was a captain in the Kentish Regiment of Horse, New Model Army. He gained the rank of Major in 1649 in Cromwell's New Regiment of Horse; was High Sheriff of County Carlow in 1650; Governor of Carlow in 1652; High Sheriff of County Tipperary in 1659.

The grandson of this gentleman, HENRY PRITTIE, sustained a siege of twenty-one days, in his castle of Dunalley, against the disbanded soldiers of of the royal army of JAMES II after the battle of the Boyne; but the besiegers at length entering, Mr Prittie was flung headlong from the top of the castle, however miraculously escaped unhurt.

His great-grandson, also named HENRY PRITTIE, was MP for Banagher, 1767-68; MP for Gowran, 1769-76; High Sheriff of County Tipperary, 1770; MP for County Tipperary, 1776-90.

Mr Prittie was elevated to the Irish peerage by the title of  BARON DUNALLEY on 31 July 1800. His lordship died in 1801.

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 mid to late 18th century house built for Henry Prittie MP, afterwards 1st Lord Dunalley, to the design of William Leeson.

LORD DUNALLEY AND PARTY STANDING ON THE STEPS OF KILBOY HOUSE

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. Five bay side elevation.

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 a Georgian style was built over the original basement.

Dunalley arms courtesy of European Heraldry.