Grubb Family Tree

From landedestates.nuigalway.ie

This property has been the home of the Grubb family since the mid 19th century. Griffith's Valuation indicates that it was then held from the Earl of Glengall and the house, offices and flour mill were valued at £122. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage dates the present house circa 1860 although a lithograph of a very similar building is included in the Glengall sale rental of November 1853 for Castlegrace. Lewis records in 1837 that an extensive flour mill had recently been built by Samuel Grubb of Clogheen. The buildings at Castlegrace were valued at £115 in 1906. This house is still [as of 2018] a Grubb family home.

From buildingsofireland.ie

Detached complex irregular-plan house, built c. 1860, oriented north-south and comprising three-bay two-storey over basement main block, having lower single-bay two-storey return to centre of north side elevation, single-bay single-storey porch to east of return. Attached to north is lower three-bay two-storey over basement middle block, further north is block which projects beyond west elevation of rest of building, is same height as main house and is three-bay two-storey over basement to east and north and two-bay two-storey over basement to west. Single-storey over basement further block to north-west corner of complex, with three-bay west elevation. Hipped slate roofs to larger blocks, skirt plan and with oversailing sheeted eaves to main block, pitched slate elsewhere, with rendered chimneystacks, H-plan arrangement to main block. Roughcast rendered walls. Square-headed window timber sliding sash windows throughout, with limestone sills and mainly six-over-six pane, except for middle block and return which have three-over-three pane windows to east and north elevations respectively. North elevation of return also has round-headed fixed paned timber window with spoked fanlight. Segmental-headed doorway to main block, with rendered doorcase having decoratively-glazed sidelights, cobweb fanlight and timber panelled door, approached by flight of cut limestone steps. Round-headed door opening to west, garden, front of middle block, with has cut limestone doorcase with plinths, impost lintel, carved archivolt and raised keystone, with spoked timber fanlight and timber panelled door, approached by cut limestone steps. Square-headed timber panelled door with paned overlight to porch to east elevation of middle block. Building retains interior features. Quadrant entrance gateway with vehicular entrance flanked by pedestrian entrances, set to tooled cut limestone octagonal-profile piers with plinths and caps, having cast-iron single- and double-leaf gates, and similar railings to cut limestone plinth walls.

Appraisal
The regular fenestration and symmetrical façades provide a sense of order and coherence to what is a complex irregular plan, creating complex principal elevations. The house is obviously the result of several building phases, the middle block perhaps being older than the main house. The retention of timber sash windows add texture and depth to the elevations. The irregular roofline, overhanging eaves, and mature planting to the front and rear anchor this building in the landscape. The property has a fine cast-iron and cut limestone gateway and forms part of an interesting group with the nearby mill, manager's house, the matching house across the road, and the bridge to the south.