house — Merrion Square

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1785 as one of pair with No. 55, having single-storey return to rear. Rear of building projects significantly from line of buildings to west and is slightly recessed from line of those to east. Now in use as offices. M-profile pitched slate roof with skylight to valley, set behind brick parapet with granite coping, and having rendered chimneystacks with clay pots to party walls, and cast-iron downpipe to east end of front elevation. Flemish bond red brick walling on granite plinth course to front elevation over painted smooth rendered walling to basement. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with painted rendered reveals and painted masonry sills; granite block-and-start surrounds to basement openings. Timber sliding sash windows, front elevation having three-over-three pane to top floor, eight-over-eight pane to basement and six-over-six pane elsewhere, some of latter having horns; and rear elevation having three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere. Front elevation has wrought-iron guard-rails to second floor openings, decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor and replacement grilles to basement openings. Round-headed door opening with rendered linings, painted masonry doorcase, entablature with fluted frieze and moulded cornice, frieze having paterae, over engaged Adamesque Ionic columns, leaded batwing fanlight and eleven-panel timber door with brass furniture. Granite platform with cast-iron boot-scrapes and four bull's-nose granite steps. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative cast-iron posts on moulded granite plinth. Rear of plot has carparking, two-storey mid- to late twentieth-century building and concrete block boundary to lane with steel vehicular gate.