Institute of Guidance Counsellors

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1840 as one of pair (Nos. 16-17) within longer row of similar houses, having two and three-storey hipped return with additions to north end and fire escape to south end. Now in commercial office use. M-profile roof, hipped to north end of rear, having brick parapet with masonry coping and parapet gutters. Shouldered brick chimneystacks to south. Parapet gutters, and shared cast-iron hopper and downpipe. Flemish bond red brick walling on painted granite plinth course over painted ruled-and-lined rendered basement walling; rendered to rear. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with painted masonry sills, painted rendered reveals and brick voussoirs. Timber sliding sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane to second floor with profiled horns, and one-over-one pane to ground and first floors and basement with ogee horns. First floor openings have scalloped trim to window heads and decorative canted cast-iron balconettes; second floor has wrought-iron window-guards, and basement has wrought-iron grille. Rear has round-headed window to north bay. Round-headed principal doorway with painted moulded surround and masonry doorcase comprising pro-style Ionic columns, plain entablature, peacock's tail fanlight and six-panel timber door with beaded muntin and brass furniture. Granite entrance platform with cast-iron boot-scrape and four bull-nosed granite steps. Decorative cast-iron railings on moulded granite plinth enclosing basement area. Cast-iron gate and mild steel steps lead down to basement area. Two-storey mews building to rear of plot, extended to lane side.

A mid-nineteenth-century row house built in the Georgian style, displaying well-balanced proportions and the graded fenestration pattern, typical of the period. The house, along with the wider terrace and row, is attractive and relatively well-retained with original features, including a good Ionic doorcase and fanlight. The decorative balconettes further enhance the facade. The intact setting, with decorative railings and boot-scrape, contribute to the character of the streetscape and also to the wider historic core of south Dublin city. Linking Mount Street Crescent to Lower Baggot Street, this street was laid out by Sydney Herbert from the early 1830s.