house — Merrion Square

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1790 apparently as one in terrace of seventeen, having bow to two eastern bays of rear elevation, and two-storey return to third bay. Now in use as offices and school. Pitched slate roof to front, hipped to west end, behind Flemish bond brown brick parapet with granite coping, with two hipped roofs to rear perpendicular to street, larger over bow. Shouldered rendered chimneystacks to east end with clay pots. Concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond brown brick walls with moulded granite plinth over painted ruled-and-lined rendered walls to basement. Square-headed window openings with painted rendered reveals, soldier arches and painted granite sills, exposed granite block-and-start surrounds and wrought-iron grilles to basement, and round-headed stairs window to rear elevation. Timber sliding sash windows, front elevation having three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere, and rear elevation having tripartite windows with three-over-three pane to top floor, nine-over-six pane to ground floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere, including to return. Decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor front and rear, and cast-iron guard-rails to top two floors of front and rear. Round-headed principal doorway with paired Ionic columns flanking decorative leaded geometrically glazed sidelights, stepped fluted frieze and cornice, decorative radial leaded fanlight, panelled cavetto-moulded architrave and six-panel timber door with brass furniture. Granite platform with cast-iron boot-scrapes and four bull-nosed granite steps. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative cast-iron posts on moulded granite plinth. Replacement timber panelled door providing direct access to basement. Casey (2005) notes that interior retains good ceilings. carparking to rear, with concrete block wall to Fitzwilliam Lane.