This four-storey castellated house belonged to the Phelan family and appeared prominently on the Down Survey barony maps, those detailed cartographic records created in the 1650s following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Built in the rolling countryside of Laois, the structure represented the type of semi-fortified dwelling that became popular amongst landed families during a period when full castle construction was giving way to more comfortable, yet still defensible, residences.

According to historical accounts recorded by William Carrigan in 1905, the building possessed several defensive features typical of its era. The walls measured three feet thick, substantial enough to withstand small arms fire but considerably thinner than medieval castle walls. Port holes protected the doorways, allowing defenders to fire upon unwelcome visitors whilst remaining under cover. The chimney stacks featured a distinctive lozenge shape, a decorative element that also served practical purposes in smoke dispersion and structural stability.

The transition from medieval castles to fortified houses like Grange More reflects the changing nature of warfare and society in early modern Ireland. These buildings offered their owners a balance between military practicality and domestic comfort; they could defend against raids and local disputes whilst providing more spacious and well-lit living quarters than their castle predecessors. The Archaeological Inventory of County Laois, compiled in 1995, confirms the site’s location in undulating countryside, though the exact reasons for the structure’s disappearance remain unclear, whether through deliberate destruction, gradual decay, or stone robbing for other construction projects.