house

Former pair of single-bay two-storey over basement with dormer attic houses, built c.1850, having two-storey flat roof canted bays to front (south-east), two-storey pitched roof extensions to sides (north-east, south-west) and two-storey canted bay addition to side (south-west). Now in use as single detached house. Pitched slate roof with timber clad overhanging eaves with corbels, rendered chimneystack, gabled dormer windows, cast-iron rainwater goods and recent rooflights. Rendered walls with plinths throughout, having render cornice to ground floor of canted bays. Render label mouldings to locations of blocked windows to side elevations. Square-headed window openings with render sills and hood moulding to first floors of canted bays and pitched roof extensions. One-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows to canted bays and timber casement windows and pitched roof extensions. Square-headed window openings with render sills to rear elevation having one-over-one and two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows. Pointed arch window openings with render sills to ground floors of canted bays having one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows. Pointed arch window openings with render sills to dormers having timber casement windows. Oculus window openings to gables of side elevations having fixed pane timber-framed windows. Square-headed door openings throughout, having render label moulding and timber battened door to south extension, glazed timber door to basement level of rear elevation and glazed timber door with overlight to canted bay extension. Rubble stone boundary walls to front and side (south-west) having tooled limestone gate piers and recent metal gate.

Originally built as two separate houses, this building is one of a series of seven pairs of houses set along the main street overlooking the harbour. This group is an integral component of the character and overall makeup of Monkstown. They were built to accommodate the permanent and temporary residents who came to the recently established resort town for sea bathing, taking the air and healthy living, which grew in popularity throughout the nineteenth century. The canted bay window, gabled dormer window and oversailing eaves are typical features of the time, and represent the height of contemporary architectural fashion.