Limerick City Gallery of Art — Pery Square

Freestanding ten-bay two-storey former Carnegie Library building, built between 1903-16 and converted to the City Gallery of Art in 1985. Distinguished by a three-bay two-storey breakfront to the north, a slightly projecting entrance porch, a six-bay two-storey north-facing rear elevation to which top-lit single-storey structures are attached. Attached to southeast corner is a three-bay two-storey former house, with a single-bay two-storey gabled breakfront to east. To southwest side, flush with Pery Square elevation is a smooth limestone ashlar and zinc cladding faced extension, c. 1995, with north-facing canted roof lights. Hipped slate roof with attending secondary roof structures. Patinated copper lantern standing on an octagonal base to the north ridge. Rock-faced limestone chimneystacks with plain clay pots. Squared and snecked rock-faced limestone faced elevations with plinth base defining ground floor level by a smooth limestone ashlar plinth course. Smooth limestone ashlar flush quoins throughout. Eaves band to façade only, into which the first floor windows rise. Square-headed window openings to ground floor level arranged in threes with smooth limestone ashlar flush surrounds, limestone sills and timber casement windows. Paired round-arch windows to side of porch with timber casement windows. Round-arched window openings at first floor level arranged in threes and pairs with continuous sill course broken by lower sill level of stair hall window openings, having sparse Romanesque colonnettes to reveals with cushion capitals joined by stringcourse and archivolts; timber casement windows and two-over-two timber casement stair hall windows. Square-headed window openings to house with smooth flush limestone ashlar surround, chamfered reveals, continuous sill course to first floor openings, with six-over-six and six-over-nine timber sash windows and one timber casement window. Smooth limestone ashlar entrance porch with pulvinated coping having Celtic Revival/Romanesque carving, and a pair of carved limestone crests flanking door arch. Round-arched Romanesque door opening with engaged colonnettes to stepped reveals having heavily enriched cushion capitals joined by cornice from which springs stepped arches with bull nose moulding and stripped chevron motif; double-leaf panelled timber door arrived at by a flight of two steps; plain glass fanlight. Internally, much of the original architectural detailing survives intact including some fine former top-lit reading room spaces, a fine staircase with quarter landings rising from the entrance hall to first floor level. The building faces west onto Pery Square and stands on the western perimeter of The People's Park.