Survey Data
Reg No
50100349
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
College
Date
1760 - 1765
Coordinates
316592, 233724
Date Recorded
29/07/2016
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Attached four-storey former house over basement, built 1762, having three-bay ground floor and basement, two-bay upper floors and bowed rear elevation with recent two-storey return and having fire escape shared with No. 3. Now in use as part of college. Pitched slate roof to front part parallel to front elevation, and having two pitches to rear, narrower to east and both hipped to rear, curved over bow. Concealed gutters, with cast-iron downpipe to west. Flemish bond brown brick walls over painted granite plinth above painted rendered basement walling; rendered to rear elevation. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with painted rendered reveals, painted granite sills and timber sliding sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor front, six-over-six pane elsewhere to front; tripartite to west bay of rear, with timber sliding sash windows, six-over-six pane to lower floors and one-over-one pane to top floor; return has timber casement windows. Cast-iron balconettes to first floor front and wrought-iron grilles to basement. Painted elliptical-headed doorcase with Adamesque Ionic columns with pilaster responds flanking blocked sidelights, stepped fluted frieze and dentillated entablature to moulded cornice, radial leaded fanlight with moulded fluted architrave, and twelve-panel painted timber door with brass door furniture. Granite platform with two granite steps, and wrought and cast-iron railings over moulded granite plinth wall enclosing basement area. Replacement timber panelled glazed door provides internal basement access below bridging platform.
Appraisal
Nos. 1-3 Merrion Square were built by John Wilson for Thomas Keating and differ from many buildings on this side by lacking granite facing. The relatively modest façade of the building is enlivened by an ornate Ionic doorcase with decorative petal fanlight. The decorative metalwork to its balconettes and railings provides additional features of interest. No. 2, along with its neighbours, makes a strong contribution to the early and intact character of Merrion Square. Laid out as part of the Fitzwilliam Estate, Merrion Square is one of the best-preserved Georgian streetscapes in Ireland. The north, east and south sides of the square are lined with terraced houses of eighteenth and nineteenth-century date, while the west side is terminated by the garden front of Leinster House. The houses maintain a relatively uniform building height and design, attributed to standards promoted in Fitzwilliam's leases, and individuality was introduced through the design of doorcases, ironwork and interior decorative schemes.