Formerly known as Rutland Square, it is now named after Charles Stewart Parnell, whose statue stands at the crossroads. The south side is lined by the elegant Rotunda maternity hospital, built in 1752 by Richard Castle. The funds necessary to build the hospital were raised thanks to entertainment staged in the rotunda, built in 1764 and which became a cinema. Entertainment remains key to the district, illustrated by its cinemas and theatres.