house

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1825 as part of terrace of six (Nos. 27-32), having two-storey return to rear. Now in commercial office use. M-profile pitched slate roof, behind parapet with moulded granite coping and parapet gutters, and platband, shouldered brick chimneystack with yellow clay pots. Brown brick walling laid in Flemish bond, apparently rebuilt above second floor window head level, with rusticated granite quoins to outer edges, on painted granite plinth course over painted rendered basement walling. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with painted masonry sills, patent reveals and brick voussoirs. Timber sliding sash windows with ogee horns, one-over-one pane to ground and first floors, six-over-six pane to second floor and three-over-three pane to top floor with cavetto horns, and ten-over-ten pane to basement. Decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor, wrought-iron window-guards to second floor and steel grille to basement. Rear elevation has three-over-three pane windows to top floor and eight-over-eight pane below. Elliptical-headed doorway with moulded surround, painted masonry doorcase with pro-style fluted Doric columns supporting plain entablature, decorative peacock's tail fanlight and replacement six-panel timber door with beaded muntin. Granite entrance platform with ornate cast-iron boot-scrape and six granite steps. Decorative spear-headed cast-iron railings on painted moulded granite plinth enclosing basement area. Steel steps provide access to basement area. Square-headed door opening beneath entrance platform with recent canopy. Cast-iron coal-hole to pavement. carparking and recent three-storey building to rear of plot, with part of original rubble stone boundary wall lining lane.

This Georgian house, built by David Courtney in the early decades of the nineteenth century, forms part of a coherent terrace of six houses (Nos. 27-32). The restrained front elevation exhibits well-balanced proportions and graded fenestration typical of the period, enlivened by a good Doric doorcase, a pretty fanlight and later balconettes. The fabric and architectural character are well retained to Mount Street Upper, making a strong contribution to the wider historic core of south Dublin. The street was erected between 1790 and 1834, the variations in the streetscape indicating the piecemeal nature of construction, the north side notably less grand than the south. The east end of the street is effectively terminated by St. Stephen's Church, creating an interesting centrepiece and terminating one of the key vistas of Georgian Dublin.