house, 54, Merrion Square · NIAH 50100434

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1790 as one of pair with No. 53, having full-height bow to eastern two bays of rear elevation, and multiple-bay two-storey return to rear of western bay abutted by return block to neighbouring building on Fitzwilliam Street Lower and having canted-bay to south end of east elevation. Pitched slate roof to front, behind rebuilt Flemish bond brown brick parapet with granite coping, and two hipped roofs to rear perpendicular to street, larger over bow. Very long rendered chimneystacks to party wall with No. 53 with clay pots. Concealed gutters and replacement metal downpipe. Flemish bond brown brick walls on moulded granite plinth over painted ruled-and-lined rendered walls to basement. Return has flat roof and rendered walls. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, having painted rendered reveals, soldier arches and painted granite sills; with exposed granite block-and-start surrounds to basement, and round-headed stairs window opening to rear elevation. Timber sliding sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor, nine-over-six pane to first floor and six-over-six pane elsewhere, rear elevation first floor having double-leaf timber casement windows with six-pane overlight. Ornate cast-iron balconettes to first and second floors and wrought-iron grilles to basement. Timber sliding sash windows to return. Round-headed principal doorway with Adamesque Ionic columns with respond pilasters, flanking decorative leaded geometric sidelights, stepped dentillated frieze and moulded cornice, with swags over door, fluting above sidelights and paterae above capitals, elaborate leaded batwing fanlight, fluted moulded architrave and eight-panel timber door, top panels glazed and having decorative metal screens, and brass furniture. Granite platform with three granite steps. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative cast-iron posts on moulded granite plinth. Replacement timber glazed door with sidelight accesses basement interior below bridged platform. Fire escape to rear of Nos. 53-54. Casey notes good ceilings to interior. Much of rear plot occupied by mid-twentieth-century former chapel.