Our Lady of Mercy House, Centre for Nurse Education

Corner sited end-of-terrace two-bay three-storey over basement former house, built c.1780, having two-bay side elevation and recent extension to Nelson Street. Now in use as college. Pitched roof, hipped to front. Parapet with granite capping to front (north) and west elevations. Rendered walls. Painted cut granite plinth course to ground floor level. Square-headed window openings having painted masonry sills. Two-over-two pane timber sash windows. Round-headed door opening with painted masonry door surround with piers supporting arch. Plain fanlight. Timber panelled door. Single granite step to entrance platform. Metal ramp at ground floor level over basement area. Recent metal railings on granite plinth enclosing basement area from pavement.

This modest yet well proportioned former house makes an important contribution to the streetscape of both Eccles Street and Nelson Street. Its proportions are shared with 51 Eccles Street, and it forms a neat junction with Nelson Street and coherent cityscape. Despite recent additions and alterations it retains many details typical of Georgian Dublin houses including sash windows and round-arched door opening. Eccles Street was laid out in 1772 by the Gardiner Estate. It was to be an arterial route leading to Gardiner's ambitious yet unrealised Royal Circus, planned for the north-west end of Eccles Street. The south side of the street is an impressive, almost entirely, late eighteenth-century terrace with taller buildings to the centre of the terrace.