Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland — Merrion Square

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1790 apparently as one in terrace of seventeen, having full-height bow to two bays to rear, third bay having three-bay two-storey return with higher one-over-two bay link to house having single-bay storey above two-storey return. In use, since 1917, by Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland as their headquarters and library/archive. Basement adapted as lecture theatre. Pitched slate roof, hipped to west end, behind brick parapet with granite coping, and two hipped roofs to rear perpendicular to street, larger over bow. Shouldered rendered chimneystacks to east end with clay pots. Flemish bond red brick walls to front elevation on granite plinth course over rendered walls to basement; yellow brick walls to rear over rendered basement, having replacement red brick arches to top two floors. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with rendered reveals and painted granite sills; carved granite block-and-start surrounds to basement. Timber sliding sash windows, nine-over-six pane to first floor at front, and to ground and first floors at rear, three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere. Wrought-iron grille to basement at front, and decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor at rear. Round-headed principal doorway with rendered linings, stepped fluted frieze and moulded cornice, frieze having paterae, engaged Ionic columns with respond pilasters flanking leaded fanlights, cobweb fanlight and eight-panel timber door. Granite platform with cast-iron boot-scrape and four granite steps. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative cast-iron posts on carved granite plinth. Cast-iron coal-hole covers set in granite flags to footpath. Entrance hall and stairs hall have stone flag floors, dentillated cornices and Rococo plasterwork ceilings; open-string staircase has wrought-iron balusters and mahogany handrail; round-headed door opening between halls, with panelled pilasters, cornice and fanlight and timber panelled double-leaf door; ground floor rooms have timber chair rails, marble chimneypieces to east wall, swagged plasterwork cornices, square-headed door openings with timber architraves, rear having Rococo plasterwork tympanum. First floor rooms have deep timber skirtings, marble chimneypieces to east wall, square-headed door opening with timber panelled pilasters, foliate corbels supporting dentillated over-door, timber-panelled double-leaf doors; windows have panelled shutters, soffits and window backs, Acanthus cornice and neo-Classical plasterwork; vestibule with arcaded walls and coffered plasterwork ceiling with round lantern. Stone flagged paving to rear of house, restored garden beyond with rubble limestone boundary wall to west and rendered wall to east, Flemish bond yellow/brown brick wall to south end, beyond which is three-bay two-storey double-roofed stable/mews house with Flemish bond yellow/brown brick walls having steel tie-bars, slate roof (pitched to east and hipped to west) with brick chimney, slightly cambered window openings to each floor of north elevation, first floor openings having replacement three-over-three pane timber sliding sash windows flanking elliptical-arch niche, and ground floor six-over-six pane windows flanking round-headed doorway with recessed brick surround and voussoirs, all window openings having granite sills. Boundary to Fitzwilliam Lane comprises depressed arch vehicular entrance flanked by calp limestone piers, having calp limestone walling to west containing segmental-arch pedestrian entrance; wall and piers raised with brickwork having granite copings; replacement timber double-leaf gate and single-leaf pedestrian door.