Survey Data
Reg No
50100266
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Technical
Original Use
Statue
In Use As
Statue
Date
1890 - 1895
Coordinates
315859, 233425
Date Recorded
24/08/2016
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding bronze seated statue of Arthur Guinness, first Lord Ardilaun, dated 1891, mounted on rectangular-plan moulded and polished grey marble pedestal, with bowed projection to front, over dressed granite plinth and inclined concrete base. Inset polished red marble panels to pedestal, that to front (west) inscribed 'Lord Ardilaun', that to north 'The Right Honourable Sir Arthur Edward Guinness/Lord Ardilaun/By whose liberality this park was laid out/And beautified for the use and enjoyment/Of the people of Dublin/Erected by public subscription/1892', and that to south is blank. Located at west side of Saint Stephen's Green, facing west towards Royal College of Surgeons. Gravel perimeter path in square-plan lawn, bounded by cast-iron railings to west, mild steel railings to remaining sides.
Appraisal
A public memorial dedicated to Irish businessman, politician and philanthropist Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun (1840-1915). Lord Ardilaun is best known for presenting the Green to the city and funding its re-landscaping. He sponsored a Private bill that was passed as the St. Stephen’s Green (Dublin) Act 1877, and after the landscaping it was formally opened to the public on 27 July 1880. The bronze statue is the work of Thomas Farrell, a prolific Irish sculptor whose works can be seen throughout Dublin City. This statue is one of a number of commemorative sculptures sited within St. Stephen's Green, all of which serve to add to the interest of the park.