Survey Data

Reg No

50100368


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic


Original Use

House


In Use As

Office


Date

1765 - 1770


Coordinates

316745, 233638


Date Recorded

24/08/2016


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built 1767-8, with three-bay two-storey return to rear. Now in use as offices. Pitched slate roof to front part, behind brick parapet with granite coping; rear part pitched to west shared with No. 20, and hipped to east; having shouldered rendered chimneystacks to east party wall and brick to west with clay pots. Flemish bond brown brick walls, rebuilt in brown brick to top two floors, granite rustication to ground floor having granite sill course and flush ashlar granite platband above, and having granite plinth over painted lined-and-ruled rendered walling to basement; brick walling to rear, painted render to basement and rendered to return. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with raised rendered reveals, painted masonry sills and largely replacement timber sliding sash windows, six-over-six pane to basement, bipartite side-hinged timber casements to first floor with overlights; apparently timber sash windows to rear, one-over-one pane to top floor and six-over-six pane below, with round-headed stairs window. Bowed decorative wrought-iron balconettes to first floor and wrought-iron grilles to basement. Recessed round-headed entrance doorway with ashlar granite surrounds, leaded timber batwing fanlight, and replacement eight-panel timber door with recent brass furniture. Granite entrance platform with bull-nosed step to street. Wrought-iron railings enclosing basement area with decorative wrought and cast-iron corner posts on moulded granite plinth. Rear of plot has yard/carparking, with recent three-storey apartment building to rearmost part straddling Nos. 19-21, with rubble stone wall to boundary.

Appraisal

No. 21 Merrion Square was built as a pair with No. 22 for the plasterer, Francis Ryan and plumber, Thomas Sherwood. The work of a skilled mason is evident in the well-executed granite surrounds to the ground floor openings, which is a common feature along this northern side of the square, adding a sense of grandeur to the streetscape. The decorative balconettes and railings enhance the building and its setting. It makes a strong contribution to the early character of the square, which has been well retained along this northern stretch. 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. Individuality was introduced through the design of doorcases, window ironwork and interior decorative schemes.