In 2003, Jane Fenlon, the historian of Irish art and architecture of the early modern period, had lamented the fact that inventories were a "rather neglected area of study" and had stressed how important it was that they "should not be treated as mere records of house furnishings" but "be seen as valuable research sources rich in information . . .

The inventories themselves, drawn up for probate or for a variety of other purposes by specialist appraisers together with family members or their staff, are given preambles by way of introduction to the houses and are supplemented with a glossary and indexes to personal names[note 3] and to the items listed.

The historian and writer Adrian Tinniswood captures the essence of the book when in the Critic, he declares that it is "A box of geeky delights, certainly, but also a fabulous (one might even say indispensable) source for the scholarly study of the Irish country house . . .

"[5] He also alludes to the book's "excellent glossary, that essential component of published inventories", a view endorsed by Michael Hall in his review in the Times Literary Supplement.

Writing in Country Life, Kate Green sees historic household inventories that record the contents of rooms as "an essential documentary tool for understanding the use and appearance of houses in the distant past", and, for the benefit of those "with a serious interest in Irish Georgian houses", sees Great Irish Households as "an essential work of reference".

[10] 'One of the things that make this volume incredibly useful,' asserts David Fleming in Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies, 'is the detailed, thematic index that draws each object together, allowing for comparison across the houses.

"There is so much information that recitation here would be exhausting, but for sheer extravagance, exuberance and breath-catching detail, the domestic and service sections of the Carton House inventory from 1818 take some beating .

"[15] In her article about the book in the Irish Times, Bernice Harrison recognizes the usefulness of the transcribed inventories for artistic directors working on historical films.