While the society has been successful in achieving its goals in some cases, it has encountered criticism from the Irish public in others. This has especially been the case when objecting to the height of proposed buildings in the city of Dublin.
A recent case also saw the IGS denigrated for objecting to the proposed provision of wheelchair access at the front of a Georgian house on Merrion Square when such a provision already existed for the building to the rear via a dark lane.
The society was founded in 1958 by members of the Guinness family.
The current president (October 2003) is the Knight of Glin.