Survey Data
Reg No
50930107
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic
Original Use
House
In Use As
Embassy
Date
1815 - 1825
Coordinates
316630, 233115
Date Recorded
25/09/2015
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Attached two-bay four-storey over basement former townhouse, built c. 1820, with two-storey return to rear (east). Now in use as embassy. Pitched roof to west and hipped to north end, irregular M-profiled hipped roofs to rear (east) span, concealed by refaced brick parapet with masonry coping. Brick chimneystacks to south party wall with replacement clay pots. Parapet gutters. Brown brick walling laid in Flemish bond, rebuilt on third floor, rendered walling to basement beneath granite plinth course. Square-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, patent reveals and granite sills; granite surrounds to basement opening. Largely replacement timber sliding sash windows; one-over-one replacements to ground and first floors with ogee horns, six-over-six to second floor, three-over-three to third floor with convex horns and eight-over-eight to basement with reeded glass inserted. Wrought-iron guard rails to second floor openings, bowed cast-iron balconettes to first floor and cast-iron grille to basement. Round-headed door opening with brick voussoirs, moulded reveals and recessed surround containing fluted frieze and moulded cornice carried on Ionic columns over plinth stops, with spoked fanlight and raised-and-field timber panelled door with replacement brass furniture. Granite entrance platform, with paired cast-iron boot scrapers, approached by four granite steps flanked by iron railings with decorative cast-iron corner posts on granite plinth, enclosing basement to south-side. Coal-hole cover to pavement. Replacement steel steps to basement. Street fronted on eastern side of Fitzwilliam Street Upper. Modernised (or replacement) two-storey mews building to rear (east). Rubble stone boundary wall with granite coping to east on Lad Lane, pierced by square-headed pedestrian opening with brick surrounds and mild-steel gate, abutted by replacement segmental-headed red brick carriage with replacement gates.
Appraisal
Built as a pair with the adjoining building to south (50930108), this former townhouse retains its traditional form and proportions, mellow brick which contrasts with the granite dressings, well executed ironwork, and handsome Ionic doorcase. The development of Fitzwilliam Street Upper began on the north-end of the western side during the early-nineteenth century. Taken as a whole with Fitzwilliam Street Upper and the east-side of the Merrion Square, this uninterrupted stretch constitutes the longest piece of Georgian streetscape in Dublin. Although largely homogenous in character and form, the subtle variations between the houses are indicative of the speculative nature of development.