National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks — Benburb Street

Former army barracks, built c.1700, predominantly rebuilt c.1770, comprising twelve-bay four-storey front range flanked by eleven-bay three-storey range to east and twelve-bay three-storey range to west, to front (south), courtyard to rear (north) surrounded by twenty-bay four-storey range to north, thirty-one bay four-storey range to west, twenty-seven bay four-storey range to east, the latter added c.1760. Pedimented central breakfronts to front and rear of front range, to interior of north, east and west ranges to rear courtyard. Integral carriage arches to centre of all ranges to north courtyard. North courtyard formerly open to north-west corner and to both south corners, recent extensions closing corners. Now in use as museum. Pitched slate roofs, hipped to front of east and west ranges, granite and rendered chimneystacks. Square-profile central timber lantern over pedimented breakfront to front range. Red brick and granite chimneystacks abutting west elevation of east range. Raised parapet walls, granite or rendered, having granite coping. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered wall to upper floors, front of front range, coursed calp limestone to ground floor, render plinth course and platbands at sill level to each floor, cut granite to pediment, carved granite cornice forming triangular pediment over central breakfront, clock face with carved granite surround. Coursed rubble calp limestone to east range to front, calp limestone platbands and plinth course, cast-iron wall-ties. Lined-and-ruled rendered walls to west range and west elevation, render platbands and plinth course, caved granite cornice over. Dressed granite walls to interior of courtyard to north, granite platband over ground floor, carved granite cornice forming triangular pediments over central breakfronts. Arcaded ground floor to interior of west range and west halves of north and south ranges, round-headed openings and rusticated granite piers and voussoirs. Square-headed window openings, dressed granite surrounds and sills, six-over-six pane timber sash windows, some four-over-four pane to central breakfront to south range of north courtyard. Venetian windows to first floor of east and west elevations of side ranges, rusticated granite surrounds, sills, voussoirs, lintels to side-lights, and small-pane timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings to west elevation of west range, granite sills, some render surrounds, six-over-six pane timber sash windows and bipartite two-over-two pane timber sash windows, some segmental-arched window openings. Round-arched integral carriage arch to south range, cut calp voussoirs, groin-vaulted ceiling. Round-arched integral carriage arches to east and west elevations of side ranges, rusticated granite voussoirs and surrounds, partially blocked to west range, forming smaller carriage opening with diocletian window over. Round-arched integral carriage arch to north range, rusticated granite surround and voussoirs, recently glazed. Square-profile porch to west elevation of east range, cut granite walls, round-arched door opening to front, half-glazed timber battened door with spoked fanlight, granite step. Round-headed door openings to east and west ranges to front of square, dressed granite surrounds, keystones, timber panelled doors and spoked fanlights, granite steps, some with rendered platforms and stumps of cast-iron bootscrapes. Round-arched door openings to interior of square to north, cut granite surrounds and voussoirs, double-leaf timber battened doors having spoked fanlights and granite steps. Groin-vaulted ceilings to interior of arcades, square-headed door openings to corridors, painted granite surrounds, half-glazed timber panelled doors.