Overview
The reclining Oscar Wilde in the north-west corner is carved from stone quarried on three different continents: a jadeite jacket, a pink thulite collar, and a Trinity College tie, all set on a boulder brought down from the Wicklow mountains. He is the most photographed thing in Merrion Square, and worth finding first. Around him lies Dublin’s best-preserved Georgian square, a 4.73-hectare park of lawns, flower beds, a small lake and a sculpture trail, ringed by red-brick townhouses, the National Gallery of Ireland and Leinster House. It is free, open daily from 10am, and fully wheelchair-accessible.
A Georgian legacy
The square was laid out in 1762 to a plan by John Smith and Jonathan Barker for the FitzWilliam estate, and quickly became the address of choice for Dublin’s politicians, writers and physicians. Oscar Wilde grew up at No. 1 from 1855 to 1876; W.B. Yeats lived at No. 82 and later No. 52; Daniel O’Connell at No. 58, now O’Connell House; and the ghost-story writer Sheridan Le Fanu at No. 70. The garden came a little later, from an 1792 design competition won by Benjamin Simpson, with drawings by John James Barralet.
There is a darker thread too. During the Famine of the 1840s, soup kitchens were set up on these lawns. For most of its life the garden was a private, key-only preserve of the surrounding residents, and it stayed that way until 1974, when Archbishop Dermot Ryan handed the land to the city; it opened to the public as Archbishop Ryan Park and was renamed Merrion Square Park in 2010. A 1930 plan by the Catholic Church, which had bought the ground from the Pembroke Estate as a cathedral site, came to nothing. Look closely and the domestic past shows through: metal coal-hole covers still sit in the ground where deliveries once dropped to the servants’ ranges below.
What to see and do
- Oscar Wilde Memorial – Danny Osborne’s 1997 statue reclines on a quartz boulder at the north-western corner, a piece of theatre in coloured stone that draws a steady queue of cameras.
- Sunday open-air gallery – every Sunday, artists hang original paintings, prints and ceramics along the park’s railings. It is a good way to buy directly from the maker.
- Sculpture trail – beyond Wilde, the park holds An Dún Cuimhneacháin, the national memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in service (2008, by Brian King); Jerome Connor’s Éire Memorial (1974); the Joker’s Chair (2002), a tribute to comedian Dermot Morgan; Elisabeth Frink’s Tribute Head II; and statues of Henry Grattan, Michael Collins and George William Russell, along with the Rutland Fountain built into the west wall.
- Georgian doorways – the surrounding façades are famous for their fanlights, brass knockers and ironwork; walking the perimeter and comparing the doors is half the pleasure.
- WWII air-raid shelter – a low, grass-covered hump near Fitzwilliam Street Lower hides the entrance to a wartime shelter.
- Lake and wildlife – the ornamental lake draws ducks, swans and the odd moorhen, best watched early in the morning.
- Playground – there is an enclosed children’s playground in the north-eastern corner.
- Dogs – welcome throughout, but must be kept on a lead.
Seasonal events and markets
- Christmas market (November–December) – craft, food and mulled-wine stalls along the perimeter.
- Candles by Candlelight (December) – hundreds of candles set around the lake for a quiet evening walk.
- Community celebrations – events such as the India Independence Day Celebration draw thousands for music, dance and street food.
- Year-round programme – Dublin City Council runs concerts, open-air talks and workshops across the seasons.
Practical information
Merrion Square Park is managed by Dublin City Council and opens daily at 10am. Closing times shift with the seasons to match the daylight:
- January and December: 5pm
- February and November: 5.30pm
- March: 6.30pm, then 7.30pm once the clocks go forward
- April: 8.30pm
- May: 9.30pm
- June and July: 10pm
- August: 9.30pm
- September: 8.30pm
- October: 7.30pm, then 6.30pm once the clocks go back
Gates start closing half an hour before the listed time. Entry is free and the park is fully wheelchair-accessible. For enquiries, call 01 222 5278 or email parks@dublincity.ie.
Getting there and nearby stops
Merrion Square is a five-minute walk from Pearse Station (DART) and is served by Dublin Bus routes 7, 7A and 45. On-street parking is scarce and metered, so come by public transport or bike; there are racks near the main entrances.
For food afterwards, the Davenport Hotel does brunch and afternoon tea a minute’s walk away, Pearl Brasserie serves modern French cooking on Baggot Street, and McGrattan’s is a reliable pub lunch. A short stroll takes you to the National Museum of Ireland (Archaeology and Natural History), the Government Buildings, and on towards Ballsbridge. If you are coming for the Sunday art market, arrive by about 10.30am to get round the railings before the crowds.