Allied Irish Bank

Corner-sited three-storey bank building, built c.1940. Originally Munster and Leinster Bank, now Allied Irish Bank. Four bays to Dublin Road and five bays to Vicar Street, with chamfered entrance bay to corner. Roof obscured by Doric cornice and heavy blocking course. Façade of ashlar limestone on ground floor with plinth, and having rectangular panel over former side doorway on Vicar Street. Projecting limestone course below first floor sill level supported on corbels. Red brick to upper floors, having cut limestone band with raised panels, and moulded cornice with dentil course below. Recessed panelling to upper floors of entrance bay having carved limestone plaques to corners. Square-headed window openings to upper floors and round openings to ground floor. Vicar Street façade has paired windows to end bays of top floor and tripartite windows to first floor, all with limestone sills. Top floor openings have brick voussoirs, first floor have raised limestone surrounds with cornices. Ground floor window openings connected by impost course with lion masks between pairs of windows, and have scroll keystones, moulded arrises and raised and fielded panels below sills, metal railiings and replacement glazing. Square-headed entrance doorway comprising engaged Doric columns with plinths and having garlands to frieze with lion mask at centre, pediment, and double-leaf timber panelled door with panelled timber overdoor and limestone steps. Side entrance has chamfered surround, cornice and lower half infilled for provision of ATM.

The bank is a very fine classical building coming from the strong tradition of bank buildings designed for the Munster and Leinster Bank. This is one of the last in a long line of classical commercial buildings with superb stone carving to be built in Ireland.