house, 23, Merrion Square · NIAH 50100370

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1765, with three-storey four by single-bay return to rear. Now in office use. Pitched natural slate roof to front part, behind masonry coping; rendered parapet to rear; rear part has hipped roof to west, shared with No. 24, and hipped roof to east. Chimneystacks with clay pots to east party wall. Concealed gutters and replacement cast-iron downpipes. Hipped and pitched slate roof to return. Flemish bond red brick walling, rebuilt to front from middle of second floor upwards, over channel-rusticated granite ground floor walling on splayed granite plinth over painted rendered basement walling; rendered walling to rear and to return. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with painted rendered reveals, painted granite sills and timber sliding sash windows with horns, six-over-six pane to basement with wrought-iron bars, one-over-one pane to floors above, with wrought-iron guard-rails to top two floors. Rear has timber sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor, six-over-six pane to second floor, nine-over-six pane round-headed stairs window; openings to lower floors blocked up. Return has six-over-six pane timber sash windows, bipartite to south end. Round-headed recessed doorcase having painted rendered surrounds, ovolo-moulded reveals, plain fanlight and eight-panel raised-and-fielded timber door with weatherboard and brass furniture. Door opens onto granite platform bridging basement, boot-scrapes removed, and single step to street level. Basement area enclosed by wrought-iron railings with decorative wrought and cast-iron corner posts on moulded granite plinth. Separate entrance provides access to original quarter-turn granite staircase with winders and wrought-iron handrail. Timber panelled and glazed door provides internal access below bridged platform. Entrance and stairs hall divided by recent mahogany glazed frame with double-leaf door. Stairs hall has delicate ceiling cornice and rose and herringbone clay tiled flooring, timber dog-leg staircase with two fine turned balusters to each tread, moulded tread ends and carved ramped mahogany handrail. Internal doors generally reeded, with cornices above; first floor rooms have delicate cornices, panelled window aprons and shutters, with oval stucco detailing to rear room ceiling; principal front room to ground floor has intricately carved timber chimneypiece; both principal rooms at first floor have marble chimneypieces. carparking to rear, with rendered concrete block wall to boundary.