[3][4] The park at the centre of the square was in private ownership until the late 1880s, when it was purchased by Dublin Corporation for £200.

The Corporation added a bandstand and landscaped the park as a Victorian pleasure garden which opened to the public on 23 April 1889.

[12][3] In 1991, Dublin City Council Parks Division applied for European Union (EU) funding to renovate the square.

The square was re-opened on 2 July 1998 by the then-Lord Mayor of Dublin, John Stafford.

[6] The park features a 3.5m bronze sculpture by Sandra Bell titled "Harmony", which was designed based on stories from the Pearse Square residents.