house — Merrion Square

Attached two-bay four-storey house over basement, built c. 1755, having three-bay rear elevation. Now in use as offices. M-profile slate roof, hipped to north end and pitched to south, concealed behind brick parapet with granite coping, and having rendered chimneystack to south party wall with clay pots. Concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond brown brick walls, with granite quoins to north end, on granite and slate plinth course over painted rendered walls to basement; rendered to rear. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with patent reveals, painted granite sills and timber sliding sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere; apparently timber sash windows to rear, including three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane to second floor. Decorative cast-iron balconettes to first floor, wrought-iron window-guards to second floor, and cast-iron security grilles to basement. Round-headed door opening with rendered linings and original doorcase comprising fluted frieze and cornice, engaged Doric columns, batwing fanlight and nine-panel timber door with brass furnishings. Granite platform, having single granite bull-nosed step, and with cast-iron railings with decorative finials on carved granite plinth enclosing basement area. Interior has entrance hall with tiled floor, painted plastered walls, simple cornice and neo-Classical ceiling rose. Study to ground floor is remodelling of early twentieth century and has timber open-string staircase with slender turned timber balusters and mahogany handrail. First floor rooms have timber chair rail, square-headed door openings with timber moulded architraves and flat panelled timber doors, and simple run-in-situ plaster cornices, neo-Classical plaster ceiling roses, with marble chimneypieces to south wall. Yard and garden to rear.