house

Terraced two-bay four-storey over concealed basement former townhouse, built c. 1780, with full-height return to rear (west) elevation and recent timber shopfront to front (east) elevation. Now in use as retail outlet. M-profile pitched slate roof, hidden behind brick parapet with granite coping, replacement uPVC rainwater goods and rear (west) elevations. Hipped slate roof to return. Brown brick walls laid in Flemish bond to front (east) elevation. Brown brick walls laid in English garden wall bond to rear (west) elevations. Square-headed window openings with masonry sills and raised rendered reveals, having six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows to first and second floors and three-over-three pane timber sliding sash windows to third floor having cast-iron balconettes to first floor to front (east) elevation. Square-headed window openings with masonry sills, raised rendered reveals and replacement casement windows to rear (west) elevation. Recent timber shopfront comprising square-headed door opening with double-leaf doors, flanked by square-headed display windows. Granite platform to front. Located on west side of Leeson Street Lower.

The restrained classical façade of this former townhouse is subtly ornamented by iron work first floor balconettes. It forms part of a terrace of Georgian buildings with similar materials, proportions, window heights and roof that characterise this part of the city. Leeson Street forms part of an ancient routeway, Suesey Street, leading from the city towards Donnybrook. Located within the Fitzwilliam Estate, which covered much of the south-east of the city, the street was named after Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown. Plots were leased for development in the mid-eighteenth century but apart from the north-western end it remained undeveloped until the 1780s. The street was largely completed by the early nineteenth century.