Survey Data
Reg No
50100216
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural
Previous Name
Railway Clearing House
Original Use
House
Historical Use
Office
In Use As
Library/archive
Date
1740 - 1760
Coordinates
316299, 233761
Date Recorded
30/08/2016
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Attached four-bay four-storey former townhouse over basement, built c. 1750 and modified 1869. Now in use as offices for National Library. Front has pitched roof, rear is pitched to south end and hipped to north and has flat roof to northernmost part, concealed behind brick parapet with masonry coping and moulded brick dentil cornice, and having brick chimneystacks with replacement clay pots, parapet gutters, and cast-iron downpipe to south. Flemish bond red brick walling, over painted smooth rendered walling to basement; brick to rear. Square-headed window openings to upper floors, having slightly projecting smooth rendered reveals, painted masonry sills and brick voussoirs; window openings to basement blocked. One-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows. Portico has pediment with block modillions, Doric entablature, engaged Doric columns on moulded plinth blocks with moulded skirting to entrance platform, and replacement six-panel door with smooth rendered reveals, moulded cornice and plain fanlight. Granite entrance platform with three steps to street, flanked by cast-iron railings on granite plinth over basement. Basement area bounded by wrought-iron railings with decorative cast-iron posts on moulded granite plinths. Granite block staircase to basement with cast-iron railings.
Appraisal
A mid-eighteenth-century townhouse, converted to offices in 1869 by contractor, John Nolan, and now in use as offices for the National Library. Although the interior has been gutted and despite the loss of historic external fabric the building has retained its historic composition and contributes to the historic character of Kildare Street. Formerly called Coote Lane, the street was widened and renamed after 1745, when work on Leinster House began. Many houses in Kildare Street were built in the mid-1750s by John and George Ensor, although No. 5 is slightly later in date.