Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Mater Hospital

Terraced three-bay four-storey over basement former house, built c.1790, now in healthcare use. Pitched roof having parapet with granite capping to front (north) elevation. Brown brick chimneystack, partly rendered, shared with property to west. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond, recent red brick to parapet. Cut granite plinth course over rendered walls to basement. Square-headed window openings having patent reveals and granite sills. One-over-one pane timber sash windows. Round-arched door opening having painted masonry surround with engaged Ionic columns and respondent pilasters supporting fluted frieze with paterae and garlands. Cobweb fanlight, diamond pattern sidelights. Timber panelled door. Granite steps to entrance platform. Cast-iron railings on granite plinth to steps. Basement area enclosed from pavement by granite plinth wall with cast-iron railings. Square-headed door opening to basement having uPVC door. Two square-headed door openings to basement area to under pavement stores having timber battened doors. Three cast-iron coal-hole covers to granite paving in front of structure.

This generously proportioned house makes an important contribution to the streetscape. It shares characteristics with neighbouring buildings including window opening sizes and door surrounds resulting in a coherent terrace. Its elaborate Ionic door surround survives in good condition and is typical of door surrounds fashionable in Dublin during the late Georgian period. Unlike many of its neighbours the basement area has no access from pavement level maintaining its early character and access to under pavement stores. Eccles Street was laid out in 1772 by the Gardiner Estate. It was to be an arterial route leading to Gardiner's ambitious yet unrealised Royal Circus, planned for the north-west end of Eccles Street. The south side of the street is an impressive, almost entirely, late eighteenth-century terrace with taller buildings to the centre of the terrace.