house

Pair of semi-detached three-bay two-storey houses over basement, built c.1830. Three-storey to south elevation, with full-height bows, single-bay full-height entrance bays and three-storey two-bay central breakfronts to north elevations. One house now converted to apartments. Hipped slate roof, flat roofs to projecting bays, with central rendered chimneystack and cast-iron gutters on overhanging eaves. Smooth rendered walls with continuous sill courses to first floor and recessed panels to breakfront. Square-headed window openings with stone sills, six-over-six (first floor front elevations and ground floor rear elevations), nine-over-six (ground floor front elevations ) timber sliding sash windows. Round-headed openings to first floor of bows having stained glass margin lights. Six-over-six curved timber sliding sash windows to ground floor of bows. uPVC windows to other floors. Round-headed door openings in moulded render surrounds having fluted Doric columns flanking timber panelled doors and plain-glazed fanlight with timber mullion. Accessed via platform bounded by cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lys finials. Set in its own grounds, bounded by rubble stone wall and accessed via square-headed gateway with red brick surrounds and cast-iron pedestrian gates. Set of steps leads from street level to entrance. Set on steeply sloping site.

Originally constructed for Cork’s merchant families, these imposing houses were built overlooking the River Lee, reputedly to allow their owners to see their ships returning to the city. The simple elegance of the south/garden elevation contrasts with the more complex street façade. The full-height bows with their curved windows are particularly appealing. The houses are characteristic of the restrained elegance of the 1830s period and indicative of the wealth of Cork’s merchant class at the time.