house

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built 1762, having recent two-storey return to rear shared with No. 2. Now in use as college. Pitched slate roof to front part, and two pitched roofs to rear, narrower to west and with hips to rear, and having Flemish bond brown brick parapet with granite coping, shouldered rendered chimneystacks to east with clay pots, and concealed rainwater goods; cast-iron downpipe to east. Flemish bond brown brick walls over painted granite plinth, with painted rendered walling to basement and rear. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, having painted rendered reveals, painted granite sills and timber sliding sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane below; rear elevation has double timber casement windows to top floor and six-over-six pane to lower floors; return has timber casement windows. Continuous ornate cast-iron balcony to first floor, and wrought-iron grilles to basement. Painted segmental-headed doorcase with channelled rusticated pilasters and fluted console brackets supporting open-bed pediment, doorway proper having lugged moulded architrave with leaded cobweb fanlight, and six-panel door with brass door furniture. Granite platform with wrought-iron boot-scrape and three granite steps. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative wrought and cast-iron corner posts on moulded granite plinth wall. Replacement timber panelled and glazed door provides internal basement access below bridged platform. Interior noted by Casey (2005)to retain good Rococo cornices.

Nos. 1-3 Merrion Square were built by John Wilson for Thomas Keating as part of the original development of the Georgian square, differing from many buildings on the same side through lacking granite facing. The relatively modest façade of the building is enlivened by an Adamesque-style doorcase, identical to that of No. 4, while the decorative metalwork to its balcony and railings provides additional features of interest. It makes a strong contribution to the early and intact character of Merrion Square. Laid out as part of the Fitzwilliam Estate, Merrion Square is one of the best-preserved Georgian streetscapes in Ireland. The north, east and south sides of the square are lined with terraced houses of eighteenth and nineteenth-century date, while the west side is terminated by the garden front of Leinster House. The houses maintain a relatively uniform building height and design, attributed to standards promoted in Fitzwilliam's leases, while individuality was introduced through the design of doorcases, ironwork and interior decorative schemes.