house

Pair of terraced two-bay two-storey over basement houses, built c. 1850, adjoined to neighbouring terrace on west side. M-profile pitched artificial slate roof. Continuous granite capped parapet to front (south). Rendered chimneystacks having clay chimneypots. Lined-and-ruled rendered walls having rusticated rendered quoins. Cut granite plinth course. Square-headed window openings having cut stone sills. Six-over-six pane timber sash windows to ground and first floor of no.219. One-over-one pane timber sash windows to no.221 and basement of no.219. Round-headed door openings each having painted rendered surround with dentillated cornice. Timber panelled doors. Plain fanlights. Flight of cut granite steps with nosings to no.221, rendered steps to no.219, rendered retaining walls with cast-iron railings. Front gardens enclosed by granite plinth with cast-iron railings and matching gates, front boundary to no.219 altered to provide vehicular access.

This pair of houses with raised entrance levels presents a pleasing elevation suited to the broad character of the tree-lined North Circular Road. The matching proportions and details result in a unified appearance and are shared with neighbouring properties. The treatment of the render to emulate the cut stone facades of higher status buildings was a popular feature of urban buildings in nineteenth-century Dublin, and adds subtle interest to the elevation. The North Circular Road was laid out in the 1780s to create convenient approaches to the city. It developed slowly over the following century with the far west and east ends developing last. Historic maps show the terrace named as St. Alban's Terrace, and the 1901 census indicate there were seven houses in the terrace.