house — Merrion Square

Attached two-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1790 as one of three (Nos. 50-52), having two-storey return or addition to rear. Now in use as offices. Rear of Nos. 50-52 projects from line of buildings to north. Pitched roof to front span with terracotta ridge tiles, behind brick parapet with granite coping, hipped roof to rear span, and with glazed clerestory between roofs. Brick chimneystacks to party walls, rebuilt and with rendered base to north, having clay pots and some recent replacements. Concealed rainwater goods. Flemish bond red brick walling, front elevation having wigged pointing and colour wash, granite plinth course and ruled-and-lined rendered basement walling; rendered walling to rear. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with granite sills. Replacement timber sliding sash windows with horns, nine-over-nine pane to first floor, three-over-three pane to top floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere. Tripartite six-over-six pane windows to middle floors of rear. Ornate wrought-iron balconettes to first floor, wrought-iron window-guards to second and top floors and wrought-iron grilles to basement. Round-headed masonry doorcase with moulded surround, engaged Adamesque Ionic columns and respond quarter-pilasters, stepped entablature with festooned and rosetted frieze, leaded cobweb fanlight, decorative oval-and-diamond leaded sidelights, and replacement nine-panel timber door with brass furniture. Granite entrance platform with two bull-nosed steps to street. Basement area enclosed by wrought-iron railings with decorative cast-iron posts on moulded granite plinth. Replacement timber door and steel steps to basement. carparking and possibly recent two-storey building to rear of plot.