St. Stephen’s Green

Lush and green all year long, St. Stephen’s Green spans roughly 22 acres and can be reached by heading south on Kildare, Dawson or Grafton Street. The park is home to colorful flower gardens, manicured lawns and ornamental lakes. The main entrance of the park is marked by Fusilier’s Arch across from the top of Grafton Street.

As you wander through one of its paths, you will notice many statues erected throughout the Green, the most striking being memorials to literary geniuses Yeats and Joyce. Take a moment to relax in a cozy gazebo or stretch out on the picture-perfect grass. In the summer, theatrical performances are given near the Victorian-style bandstand.

The west side of the open square was a place of public execution until 1664. For the first time in its history, it became a private park in 1814 and remained so until Arthur Edward Guinness, then proprietor of the infamous brewery, formally laid it out as a gift to the public in 1880.

During the late 18th century, the aristocracy often strolled along the sidewalks outside of the Green. Many of their fine Georgian houses still stand and can be found surrounding the park in St. Stephens Square.

The park is free to enter and is open sunrise to sunset.