Dublin Castle

Attached nine-bay three-storey office building over raised basement, built 1808-11, facing into Dublin Castle complex and backing onto Ship Street Great. Roof, remodelled c. 1997, concealed behind parapet walls, with outer slopes rising to central flat section, and having paired brick chimneystacks with stone strings and caps and red clay pots. Brown brick Flemish bond walling on uncoursed limestone basement, and having projecting brick parapet with granite copings. Square-headed window openings, having granite sills and rubbed brick voussoirs, with timber sliding sash windows, six-over-six pane to ground, first and second floors of both elevations, and segmental-headed to basement, latter having four-over-four pane windows, and with iron grilles to ground floor windows of rear elevation. Square-headed door openings, two to front elevation and one to rear, those to front approached by granite steps over basement area, with rubbed brick voussoirs and painted timber panelled doors with four-pane fanlights. Wrought-iron railings on granite plinth to front elevation, with mild steel steps to basement area, and cast-iron glazed pavement lights to rear elevation. Interior extensively remodelled c. 1997.

The Ship Street Ordnance Offices were erected in two stages, from 1808-11 and after 1845. This building has the appearance of a substantial townhouse standing within a row of similar large-scale buildings built for the British military. Retention of timber sash windows enhances the building, whose imposing facade forms an imposing boundary at the southwest side of the highly significant Dublin Castle complex. The scale of the block is given a somewhat domestic appearance by the doorway approached by steps over a basement area. The contrast between the stone walling of the basement and the brickwork elsewhere is pleasant.