Survey Data

Reg No

50100371


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic


Original Use

House


In Use As

Office


Date

1760 - 1880


Coordinates

316768, 233625


Date Recorded

29/07/2016


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Attached three-bay four-storey former house over basement, built c. 1765, refurbished c. 1870, rear having flat-roofed canted two-storey bay of latter date to east end, fires escape to middle, and two-storey return to west with rooflight, extended by hip-roofed two-storey addition with lean-to addition. Converted for office use. Natural slate roof, pitched to front part, behind partially reconstructed red brick parapet with moulded granite stringcourse and granite coping; rear has hipped lean-to roof to west and hipped roof to east. Shared rendered chimneystacks with clay pots to east and west party walls, east stack shouldered, both with yellow clay pots. Parapet gutters, cast-iron downpipe to east. Flemish bond red brick walling, refaced to western two bays of top two floors, over granite rusticated ground floor on splayed granite plinth over painted ruled-and-lined rendered basement walling; rendered walling to rear and to additions. Square-headed window openings, diminishing in height to upper floors, with plain brick reveals, granite sills and over-one pane timber sliding sash windows with horns; round-headed openings to ground floor, set in recessed ashlar granite surrounds; two-over-two pane windows to basement. Round-headed stairs opening to rear, and some timber sliding sash windows. Full-width ornate cast-iron balconette to first floor, and decorative cast-iron balconettes to top two floors. Rear has timber sash windows, three-over-three pane to top floor, two-over-two pane to second floor, round-headed stairs window to west. Round-headed entrance doorway with Portland stone doorcase having carved foliate pilasters on plain profiled console brackets supporting plain entablature with deep modillioned cornice, leaded petal fanlight and twin-panel timber door with brass furniture and beaded muntin. Door opens onto granite platform bridging basement with single bull-nosed step to street level. Basement enclosed by decorative cast-iron railings with finials over moulded granite plinth wall. Separate entrance to replacement metal staircase accessing basement. Timber panelled door provides internal access below bridged platform. Casey (2005)notes that interior has barrel-vaulted ceiling to addition, entered through screen in form of Corinthian Venetian window. Rear of plot has carparking, double-roofed mews house with forecourt, and boundary is rendered wall with granite coping.

Appraisal

No. 24 Merrion Square was built as part of the original development of the Georgian square. The north side of the square is set apart, as the majority of houses have granite rustication to the ground floor. No. 24 was built by Ralph Ward, as a group of three (Nos. 23-25). The relative plainness of the well-balanced façade is relieved by the granite rustication of the ground floor, decorative cast-iron balconettes, and the carved limestone doorcase that features a pretty fanlight. It is one of very few that has not had the later addition of rendered painted window reveals. It is also unusual in having round-headed windows to the ground floor. It makes a strong contribution to the early character and architectural significance of Merrion Square. Laid out as part of the Fitzwilliam Estate, the 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.