Dawson Lounge

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over concealed basement, built c. 1870, with timber shopfront to ground floor. In commercial use, with public house to basement. Flat roof with painted brick parapet, cyma recta masonry cornice with painted masonry coping, and concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond painted red brick walling, having moulded stringcourse with festooned band above top floor windows. Camber-headed window openings with ovolo-moulded reveals, painted masonry sills to top floor over rendered aprons, flush chamfered sills to first floor, projecting moulded masonry sill course to second floor, and continuous hood-moulding with label-stops to first floor windows. Timber casement windows, top two floors having double-light side-hinged casements with transom. Shopfront has angled fascia over engaged half-fluted pilasters on tall base, with moulded cornice and swan's-neck pedimented stops, recent display window and door concealed by roller shutter, and recent door accessing upper floors. Basement lights to pavement.

Laid out by Joshua Dawson in the early eighteenth century, Dawson Street was largely complete by 1728 as a prestigious residential district. The thoroughfare remained unchanged until the nineteenth century when it became a fashionable commercial street with many of its early residences replaced by purpose-built commercial buildings. The facade of No. 25 is distinguished by original decorative features, including various mouldings and a swagged frieze. The building is noted as accommodating the smallest public house in Dublin in its basement. The early timber shopfront surround remains relatively intact, although the display windows and doors have been replaced. This building contributes to the variety and architectural quality of Dawson Street.