house

Pair of terraced two-bay three-storey over basement former houses, built c.1800, attached at both gables to adjoining terraces, canted corner to south end. Now in use as flats. Pitched M-profile roofs, hipped to south end, having continuous parapet to front (south-west) elevation with cut granite capping. Brown brick chimneystacks. Recent red brick laid in Flemish bond to front elevation of no.1, brown brick walls laid in Flemish bond to front of no.2. Both having cut granite plinth course over rendered walls to basement level. Rendered walls to rear elevation. Square-headed window openings having cut granite sills. Cast-iron balconettes to first floor. Timber sash windows having six-over-six panes to front and rear elevations. Two-over-two panes to second floor of no.2 and three-over-six to basement level of no.2. Single round-arched window opening to rear of no.2. Round-arched door openings, having painted masonry surround with engaged Ionic columns supporting frieze and cornice to no.2, no columns to no.1. Timber panelled door to no.2, replacement glazed timber door to no.1. Petal fanlights. Cut granite steps to shared entrance platform having sweeping granite plinth wall with cast-iron railings and recent gates enclosing basement area. Access to basement area of no.2 by recent concrete stairs. Rear access from Blessington Court.

These houses make an important contribution to the streetscape. Their proportions and details are shared with neighbouring properties resulting in a pleasing terrace at this prominent junction of four streets. The façade of no.1 stretches and angles to form a continuous streetscape between Berkeley Street and Blessington Street. It retains early fabric including timber sash windows and door surrounds, both typical of Georgian Dublin houses. Berkeley Road and Berkeley Street were laid out by the Gardiner Estate at the turn of the nineteenth century and were to act as an arterial route connecting with the ambitious, and ultimately unrealised, Royal Circus intended for the area bounded by the Royal Canal and Eccles Street.