Lord Ardilaun (Sir Arthur Edward Guinness) resolved the problem when he secured, in 1877, the passing of an Act entrusting the maintenance of the Green to the Commissioners of Public Works, allowing access to the public again from 1880.

The origins of the always tranquil St. Stephen's Green, set right in the middle of the south city centre go back to medieval days when it was a marshy common used for public grazing. In 1663 Dublin Corporation decided to sell the perimeter lands of the common as building lots and maintain the inner core as a green open space. The Green was surrounded by a stone wall and laid out with formal pathways around the boundary.

By 1814 the Green had deteriorated to such an extent that it was handed over to the Commissioners representing the local householders. They redesigned the park, demolished the walls and erected a railings. Admittance to the park was confined to the local residents which was deeply resented by other citizens accustomed to its accessibility. Lord Ardilaun (Sir Arthur Edward Guinness) resolved the problem when he secured, in 1877, the passing of an Act entrusting the maintenance of the Green to the Commissioners of Public Works, allowing access to the public again from 1880. Ardilaun also paid off the accrued debts of the Green and funded the new landscaping, the results of which are evident today.

Also see St. Stephen's Green Ponds

St. Stephen's Green is under the care of  Dúchas The Heritage Service.

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