St. Stephen's Green

The Victorian central square of Dublin

Bust of James Joyce on St. Stephen's Green. Something between a square and a gorgeous city park, "The Green" is 22 acres of Victorian-era park that lies about a 10-minute stroll south of Trinity College along the umbilical of Grafton Street, Dublin's main pedestrian shopping drag connecting the main entrance to Trinity with the northwest corner of The Green.

St. Stephen's Green was opened to the citizenry of Dublin in 1880, and includes ornamental lakes at the north end populated by ducks and swans; 3.5km of pathways; and children's playgrounds.

There are plenty of statues tucked amidst the flower beds and closely-clipped lawns, including memorials to Yeats and Joyce and a lumpy bronze by Henry Moore.

Like a good pub, the park contains lots of hidden nooks and gardens so you can feel all alone even amid the hurly burly of the big city. A favorite: the Garden for the Blind, its rail lined with braille plaques naming all the park's plantings.

A Henry Moore statue (1967) on St. Stephen's Green. At lunchtime in summer, free concerts are sometimes performed.

Overlooking the north side of the Green is the famous, five-star Shelbourne Hotel, built in 1824 and where Ireland’s Constitution was signed in 1922.

Tips

• Planning your time in St. Stephen's Green: Odds are you'll stroll along the edge of, or cut through, The Green at some point during your stay. If you want to take a bit of time to enjoy it, give the park at least 20-30 minutes to stroll the paths and peruse the statues and busts.
• Tours that visit St. Stephen's Green: Take a tour that includes a stop at St. Stephen's Green with our partners at Viator.com:
  • Dublin Photography Walking Tour: A Cultural Walk
  • Dublin City Hop-on Hop-off Tour (no site entry)