St. Stephen’s Green in the Rising: Heart of the Rebellion

ssgbefore1 — View from the Shelbourne Hotel, occupied by British forces during the Rising, offering a strategic vantage point over St. Stephen’s Green

Dublin’s St. Stephen’s Green, a tranquil park in the city’s center, is renowned today for its gorgeous gardens and bustling footpaths. But during Easter Week of 1916, this serene space became a battleground in one of Ireland’s most pivotal moments of rebellion against British rule. The 1916 Easter Rising was not only a turning point in Irish history, but it also transformed St. Stephen’s Green into a symbol of the struggles and sacrifices of those who fought for Irish independence.

St. Stephen’s Green Before the Rising

St. Stephen’s Green, a lush public park in the heart of Dublin, has long been a cornerstone of the city’s history and culture. The Dublin Corporation enclosed the marshy common on the outskirts of the city in 1664, and sold the land around it for building. The Green served as a private park for the city’s elite before being opened to the public in 1877 by an Act of Parliament. Sir Arthur Guinness, Lord Ardilaun, a member of the Guinness brewing family, paid for its redesign. This Victorian layout, with ornate flower beds, a central lake, and picturesque walking paths, made it a serene retreat amidst the bustle of Dublin’s urban life. By the early 20th century, citizens from all walks of life frequented the park.

Map of the park and surrounding buildings

This is the park as Donnacha Cavanagh sees it near the beginning of Roseleigh:

The serenity of St. Stephen’s Green contrasted sharply with the hubbub of the city just steps away. The trees on the perimeter of the park—flowering cherries that only recently cast off their white-pink flowers for bright green leaves—muffled the noise of traffic and crowds.

Donnacha also notes some of the buildings surrounding the park:

Luxurious Georgian townhouses ringed St. Stephen’s Green, with other imposing buildings—the pillared Royal College of Surgeons, the genteel Shelbourne Hotel, and the odd man out, a Gothic non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland.

St. Stephen’s Green: From Park to Battlefield

Rebel trenches dug in St. Stephen’s Green by Irish Citizen Army members during the Easter Rising, as shown in the *Daily Sketch* on May 4, 1916

In the early hours of Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, Irish Volunteer forces under Michael Mallin and Countess Constance Markievicz entered St. Stephen’s Green. Their mission was to take control of the park, a strategic point in Dublin’s center, and establish a defensive position. The Volunteers believed that by fortifying the Green, they could hold an essential area that connected several key routes through the city. Of the 200–250 rebel troops that took up arms for the Rising, most deployed either to the General Post Office under James Connolly or to St. Stephen’s Green.

Dr. Edmund J. McWeeney reading the 1916 Proclamation posted on the railings of his home at 86 St. Stephen’s Green

The group quickly began digging trenches and building barricades using cars, horse carts, park benches, mounds of soil, and any available materials. As the day progressed, the sight of armed people digging into the earth of a public park shocked passersby. While Dubliners were no strangers to unrest, few anticipated such a bold and organized act of defiance. James Stephens was an eyewitness to the action of the rebels, discussing how they commandeered automobiles to form a barricade around the park:

As I reached [the barricade] and stood by the Shelbourne Hotel, which it faced, a loud cry came from the Park. The gates opened and three men ran out. Two of them held rifles with fixed bayonets. The third gripped a heavy revolver in his fist. They ran towards a motor car which had just turned the corner, and halted it. The men with bayonets took position instantly on either side of the car. The man with the revolver saluted, and I heard him begging the occupants to pardon him, and directing them to dismount […]. The Volunteers directed the chauffeur to drive to the barricade and lodge his car in a particular position there.

The Siege of St. Stephen’s Green

British forces were quick to respond to the uprising, and St. Stephen’s Green became a focal point of their counterattack. Already on Monday, troops established positions on the rooftops of surrounding buildings, including the Shelbourne Hotel, which offered a clear view of the entire park. From these vantage points, snipers opened fire on the Volunteers below, turning the park into a death trap. While this appears to be an oversight on the part of Mallin, an experienced officer, he apparently expected enough troops would turn out for him to occupy those buildings as well as the Green.

A view from St. Stephen’s Green toward the Shelbourne Hotel, where British troops were stationed during the Rising.

The Volunteers quickly realized the untenability of their position. By Tuesday, they abandoned their trenches, and found commanding positions opposing those of the British, in the Royal College of Surgeons. The warfare continued between this building and the Shelbourne, the United Service Club, and the Alexandra Club, with rifles and roof-mounted machine guns.

Throughout the conflict, both sides enacted a twice-daily truce to facilitate the feeding of the ducks by James Kearney, the Park’s Superintendent. According to The Times History of the War:

There was much ornamental water in this beautiful little park, which was well stocked with waterfowl, and the keeper, who remained inside all the time, reported that his charges were well looked after and fed by him, and were very little perturbed by the bullets flying over their heads.

On Saturday, April 29, Pádraig Pearse, to whom Connolly had passed the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Irish Republic after being incapacitated himself, officially surrendered. Word didn’t reach the Green, however, until the following day. Stephens records the surrender of the rebel positions on the park around noon on Sunday:

A motor car with two military officers, and two Volunteer leaders had driven to the College of Surgeons and been admitted. After a short interval Madame Marckievicz [sic] marched out of the College at the head of about 100 men, and they had given up their arms; the motor car with the Volunteer leaders was driving to other strongholds, and it was expected that before nightfall the capitulations would be complete.

The Battle of St. Stephen’s Green resulted in the deaths of five Irish Citizen Army Volunteers and the serious wounding of five others.

The Royal College of Surgeons overlooked St. Stephen’s Green from the west

Legacy of St. Stephen’s Green

Today, St. Stephen’s Green stands as both a reminder of the Easter Rising and a testament to Ireland’s resilience. Visitors to the park can find memorials commemorating the events of 1916, including a plaque honoring the Volunteers who fought there. The site also serves as a place of reflection, where Dubliners and tourists alike can pause to consider the sacrifices made in the pursuit of freedom.

Plaques throughout St. Stephen’s Green tell the story of the Easter Rising today

The story of St. Stephen’s Green during the Easter Rising is one of courage, sacrifice, and hope. While the park’s role in the rebellion was brief, its significance endures. It remains a symbol of the spirit of those who dared to dream of a free Ireland, and of the ordinary people who found themselves swept up in extraordinary events.