oscar wilde walking tour dublin

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Welcome to the Oscar Wilde House : Dublin

About the house, book special guided tour, oscar wilde house , at one merrion square.

Welcome to the childhood home of Oscar Wilde, the modern-day location of AMERICAN COLLEGE DUBLIN.

WE ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT WEEKENDS ONLY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM MAY . OPENING HOURS FOR MARCH AND APRIL ARE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FROM 11AM TO 6PM (LAST ENTRY 5.15PM)

There are two ways to visit us.

We offer walk-in visits at weekends, or you can come on one of our special guided tours at 6pm each Saturday. The price of the walk-in visit is 12 euro per person. Discounted tickets are 10 euro per person and available for students, teachers, the unemployed, as well as disabled and retired persons.

You do not have to book for a walk-in visit, simply pay at reception. The guided tour can be booked on this website.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A HIGH LEVEL LEVEL OF ENGLISH IS REQUIRED FOR THE GUIDED TOUR.

THE GUIDED TOUR COSTS 22 EURO PER PERSON , LASTS 90 MINUTES, AND TELLS THE ENTIRE ASTOUNDING STORY OF THE WILDE FAMILY. NUMBERS OF GUIDED TOURS AT LIMITED TO 28 PEOPLE SO BOOK YOUR TOUR TODAY. THEY ALWAYS SELL OUT.

Oscar Wilde House is a NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION and a REGISTERED CHARITY . This year, for the first time, we have opened Oscar Wilde’s childhood bedroom as part of the house visit.

‘It’s quite possibly the best €20 you can spend in Dublin. As well as being a Wilde scholar, Martin is a serious raconteur and the stories come thick and fast, with both darkness and hilarity. We were all utterly transfixed for well over an hour as Martin brought Wilde and his family’s stories to vivid life, in the very rooms the events took place. (GLOSS magazine, Oct 2023).

“Had a Wilde time in Dublin. 10/10. Would really recommend the guided tour.” …. ASTRID MEROTIETA.

It was within these walls that the young Oscar took his first steps and where he was educated for the first ten years of his life. As a teenager Oscar attended the nearby Trinity College Dublin and lived at home for his first year at college. Oscar’s parents, Lady Jane Wilde (the poet Speranza) and Sir William Wilde, were famous long before Oscar made his mark on the world. The Wilde household was renowned as a centre of culture in Victorian Dublin for 21 years. To learn more, book your visit to the historic Wilde house today.   

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Oscar Wilde House has lots of exciting plans for the future. There’ll be tours, salon revivals, spoken word and musical events and even open-air dramas in the park opposite our building. Sign up today and be the first to hear of what lies ahead.

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Oscar’s hotel in Paris

Oscar Wilde moved into a hotel in Paris in February 1898 for what turned out [...]

Benvenuti nella casa di Oscar Wilde

  La casa di Oscar Wilde (translation by Anna Bon). Benvenuti nella casa di Oscar [...]

The Scandal of the Tomb of Oscar Wilde

Speranza’s Salon Revival

THIS IS A TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF OSCAR WILDE HOUSE ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE GERARD BYRNE PAINTING ‘WILDE SUNFLOWERS’. THE PAINTING WAS THE PRIZE FOR A FUNDRAISING DRAW MADE ON FEBRUARY 8. THE PAINTING WAS WON BY DAYLE ARMSTRONG FROM LIFFORD, CO DONEGAL. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO BOUGHT TICKETS. 

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A tour of Oscar Wilde’s Dublin

One of the most famous playwrights to come from Dublin, Oscar Wilde has a deep connection to the city.

On the northwest corner of Merrion Square, a colourful character is sprawled on a quartz boulder, his long legs stretched down the side of the rock as he wryly observes those passing by. Fans will instantly recognise him as renowned author, playwright and wit Oscar Wilde, immortalised in statue form just a few steps from the house in which he was raised.

Take a walk around Oscar Wilde’s Dublin, from his favourite childhood haunts to his house in Merrion Square.

It’s a sculpture every bit as flamboyant as the man himself. Wilde was well known for his love of the finer things in life, which is why the artist Danny Osborne created a statue that’s unusually vivid. Take a closer look at Wilde’s glossy smoking jacket and you’ll see that the colour comes not from paint, but from precious stone. His green jacket is carved from jade, the colour and cuffs made from a rare pink stone called thulite and the trousers a blue pearl granite. Fitting for a man who decorated his room at Oxford with peacock feathers. The lifesize sculpture depicts Wilde at his full 6’ 3” height: when you consider that the average height for a man back then was 5’ 5”, Wilde was larger than life in more ways than one.

When you approach the statue from the west side of the park, Wilde’s face looks rather thoughtful and serious. But as you walk around the sculpture, his expression changes to one of wry amusement. This was Osborne’s nod to Wilde’s divided sense of self, his face here “both life-like and mask-like, both tragic and comedic.”  

There are two other sculptures that make up the Oscar Wilde Monument, a bronze statue of his pregnant wife Constance and the torso of Dionysus, the god of youth, wine, poetry and theatre. Take a walk around these sculptures and read the handwritten Wilde quotes inscribed on the plinths, each one chosen by unnamed artists, writers and poets, as well as scientists and politicians. Osborne’s website lists the names behind each of the quotes, which include Bono, Irish president Michael D Higgins and artist Robert Ballagh, who may have chosen the most ‘Wildesque’ quote of all: “All art is quite useless”. 

Right by the monument is the Giant’s Garden playground, named after Wilde’s early fairytale The Selfish Giant , which tells the tale of an ogre who bans all children from his garden. But it’s only when all children are allowed in that the garden can bloom. The inspiration for this tale is presumably drawn from Wilde’s childhood. When he was a boy, he and his siblings often played on this very spot, while the poorer children of the local tenements and slums weren’t allowed in.   

Oscar Wilde House , Wilde’s childhood home, is across the street at 1 Merrion Square. You can tour the house (which now serves as the campus for the American College Dublin) in the company of expert guides, who reveal plenty of detail about Wilde’s rollercoaster life, from his early years throwing bread rolls at the dinner table to his friendship with Toulouse-Lautrec in Paris just before he died. 

Of course, what Oscar wouldn’t want you to know is that he was actually born around the corner, at the less impressive address of 21 Westland Row. You’ll see another plaque dedicated to Wilde outside the house, which now belongs to his alma mater, Trinity College. A few doors down is Kennedy’s , a pub with a fair few literary connections. Samuel Beckett and James Joyce were both known to frequent this bar for a tipple or two, but in Wilde’s day it was also a shop where he worked as a shelf stacker. He was also known to spend his earnings there on a Sunday evening, sitting with a bottle of stout. Nowadays, you can sit down next to a statue of Wilde on the bench right by the front door.  

Just over the road is Sweny's Pharmacy , which makes an appearance in Ulysses and looks pretty much as it did when it opened in the 1850s. Wilde was a regular visitor to the pharmacy as a young boy, dropping in prescriptions for his father. There’s also a prized first edition of An Ideal Husband kept in a cabinet behind the counter.  

Stroll around Lincoln Place and along Nassau Street and you’ll find yourself at Trinity College , where Wilde won a scholarship to study Classics and engaged in regular debates in the Philosophical Society. While tours of the college are reserved for prospective students, you can visit the Book of Kells and one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, the Long Room, where Wilde studied.

Wilde was also a familiar face at Marsh’s Library , close to St Patrick’s Cathedral . Though smaller than the Long Room in Trinity College, it’s just as striking, the carved oak shelves heaving with leatherbound books. Barely a thing has changed since the library opened its doors back in 1707, including the reading room, where Wilde studied during his university years.    

On St Stephen’s Green, the Museum of Literature Ireland is housed in the original campus of University College Dublin at Newman House. Wilde wasn’t a student here, but one of the exhibits here is a sound installation from The Picture of Dorian Gray called ‘Words! Mere Words!’ 

Afterwards, walk through St Stephen’s Green , much like Wilde would have done on his subsequent visits to Dublin. He often stayed at the Shelbourne hotel, and it was here where he slept on the night he made his proposal of marriage to his future wife, Constance Lloyd, in 1883. The Georgian buildings that line the park look much as they did in Wilde’s day, so take a walk around these streets and you’ll be walking in his footsteps.  

Dive into Dublin history

Dublin's been around for over 1000 years, which means there's plenty of history to uncover, so why not join one of its heritage walks and tours ?

Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin

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Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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the best walking tour i had in my... - Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin

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Ed and Caroline Lee from Florida. What was supposed to be a two hour tour, turned into four and... read more

We were lucky enough to have Oisin take us on a private 2 hour tour. He was utterly brilliant and... read more

the best walking tour i had in my entire life!!!

the best walking tour i had in my entire life!!! I went on the first week of March 2019 the group was really small that they and we spent around 3 hours with the Guide Mr Ohen that he is a big fan of Oskar Wilde and knows pratically everything about him and about Dublin. We visited different place and were part of Oskar Wilde life when he was in Dublin and we ended up the tour in the favourite Pub of Oskar Wilde ! Such an amazing experience I will probably do again the same tour! Price was 15 € The tour is every Sunday at 2 pm appointment in front of Oskar Wilde horse (Better booking in advance). See you next time!

Myself and my boyfriend are currently visiting Dublin and I found and booked this tour online, as I’ve always been an Oscar Wilde fan. We booked the private tour as we are here during the week, so therefore not able to attend a weekend group tour. Oisin was our guide, and was very friendly, informative and knowledgeable! The tour starts at the former Wilde home on the corner of Merrion Square, and takes you to various places relevant in Wilde’s early life, including his nearby birthplace, Trinity College, the mayor’s house where Sir William Wilde was knighted, Kennedy’s bar, which was also a grocery shop and in which Oscar worked as a teenager (much to his mother’s disgust!) and many more. Particularly special was our visit to Sweny’s Pharmacy, which was amazing! It has been maintained exactly as it was in the 1840s; there are even uncollected prescriptions in the drawers from that period! PJ, who salvaged the shop from being turned into a cafe, and has maintained it ever since, is a fascinating and immensely knowledgable gentleman. He entertained us with anecdotes & sang us an Irish song. Osian is very knowledgeable about Irish history and gave us a background of the general situation in Ireland at the time Wilde lived in Dublin. He also did a few readings, including from The Happy Prince and Wilde’s poem for his younger sister who died tragically young. The tour ends back at Merrion Square, at the Oscar Wilde statue, which I loved. Osian explained to us the origin of the statue and the materials used, which was fascinating. I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone who is already a Wilde fan or simply wants to find out a bit more!

This tour was excellent from start to finish.. Oisins knowledge is second to none..we had no difficulty in hearing everything he said and were constantly learning something new. My children particularly enjoyed when Oisin read from The Happy Prince. He went to great lengths to make sure the children and ourselves were kept thoroughly entertained. I couldn't recommended this tour highly enough. Brilliant

Oisin is so passionate, knowledgeable, kind and funny! He is fantastic on this tour and makes this tour a must do for anyone in Dublin. Although I am an native of Dublin, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and learnt so much about my own city!!

I’m so glad we started our Dublin experience with this tour! We learned more about Oscar Wilde than anticipated, but also learned a lot about the Wilde family, Dublin and Ireland as well. The tour was informative, fun, and enriched by a few Oscar Wilde readings in the context of specific Dublin locations. The tour has things to offer regardless of your level of knowledge of Oscar Wilde. We will do this again when we return to Dublin.

We went on the Oscar Wilde walking tour in January 2019 and it was fantastic. Our guide, Oisin, was passionate, knowledgeable and friendly as he took us around the major sites related with Oscar’s time in Dublin. Oscar’s Dublin life coincided with a period of great change in Ireland, so the story of his life is much more than you’d expect, and the tour takes in broad swathes of Irish history alongside the personal details of Oscar Wilde’s life. Highly recommended!

Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin

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OSCAR WILDE WALKING TOURS DUBLIN: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin

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Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Dublin Ireland

An independent guide to dublin by geoff and friends, walking tour 1: merrion square, oscar wilde and museums, where will this tour start.

This tour will start from Pearse Station, and the first port of call will be Merrion Square – an absolute must-see attraction. If you have been on holiday in Dublin before and know how to get to the entrance to Merrion Square on Merrion Square West, then you can begin the tour from that point.

Sightseeing opportunities

• Oscar Wilde’s place of birth, 21 Westland Row
• Merrion Square (1752)
• Bernardo O’Higgins Memorial, inside Merrion Square
• The Rutland Fountain, inside Merrion Square (1791)
• Oscar Wilde Memorial, inside Merrion Square
• National Gallery, Merrion Square West (1859)
• Government Buildings, Merrion Street Upper (1922)
• Huguenot Cemetery, Merrion Row (1693)
• The National Museum, Kildare Street (1890)
• Leinster House, KIldare Street (1745)
• The former residence of Oscar Wilde, Merrion Square North

How long will this walk take?

This is entirely dependant on you. If you are on an extended holiday and have enough time you could spend a day visiting a few of the museums; or if you are in Dublin for a short break you could just enjoy the Georgian park and the Georgian architecture of the buildings that house the museums.

How much will it cost?

If you are on a tight budget, you could complete this walk entirely for free, because National Museums in Dublin are completely free. However, if you choose to buy souvenirs or visit the local cafes then you could end up spending quite a lot.

Directions – Pearse Station to Merrion Square, via the birthplace of Oscar Wilde

When you come out of Pearse Street’s station turn left. Follow the road that you are on, which is Merrion Square West.

Look out for number 21 across the road – that is the birthplace of Oscar Wilde and now home to the Oscar Wilde Centre. The house has a blue door and a plaque detailing his time spent on this street.

Continue along Westland Row until you see a fork in the road. Take the left turn which will take you into Lincoln Street West. Follow this road around until you get to Merrion Street Lower. This Street, in turn, leads on to Merrion Square West, where you will see the entrance to Merrion Square, an absolute must-see tourist attraction.

Dublin Ireland > Georgian Quarter (Southside) > Walking Tours in the Georgian Quarter > Walking Tour 1: Merrion Square, Oscar Wilde and Museums

Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin

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Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

If Statues Could Talk — The Unique Tour In Ireland You’ll Want To Experience

D ublin overflows with history, pub exploits, and cultural experiences. Maybe the best way to participate in them is not as a tourist, but to move in for a few years. 

When my daughter started graduate school at Trinity College Dublin, we learned historically that the middle and upper classes lived in Dublin 2, south of the River Liffey, while Dublin 1, north of the river, was more working class. Over time, this has changed with nice places to live on both sides of the river, and we’ve enjoyed exploring both areas on our own and following various tours.

Fáilte Ireland , Ireland’s National Tourism Development Authority, and its partners have coordinated to give 10 of the city’s most famous statues the gift of gab as part of the Talking Statues project. All you need is a working telephone, the map of the statues, and a little shoe leather.

Editor’s Note: Some QR codes have been removed since this article was first published. The author has shared many of the recordings from her initial experience on her YouTube channel .

Tips For Experiencing The Talking Statues Tour

While you can start or finish this free, self-guided tour at any statue, I started at one of the most famous statues, Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square, and completed Dublin 2 before crossing the Ha’Penny Bridge to see all of the Dublin 1 statues. 

The only statue with somewhat restricted access, based on museum hours, is George Bernard Shaw within the National Gallery of Ireland . 

The two statues within Trinity College’s campus are the George Salmon Statue, to the left of the Campanile; and the Atoms and Apples celebrating Ernest T.S. Walton’s Nobel Prize-winning work in Physics (1951), located near the Physical Laboratory building. 

Dress as comfortably as you like for this trek. The most important item you’ll need? A sturdy pair of walking shoes. If you’re interested in completing the entire tour in one day, plan to spend three to four hours. If you’ll be in Dublin for a few days, you may enjoy exploring each section of town around the statues at a more leisurely rate. 

The entire tour covers less than two miles. There aren’t many free restrooms nearby, so it’s good to know that there is one within the National Gallery and others within the plethora of coffee shops and restaurants along the route. 

The tour is completely accessible by wheelchair. Keep in mind, though, that wheelchairs can’t pass over Ha’Penny Bridge. They can easily cross either of the nearby bridges.

Statues Not To Miss

Oscar wilde.

First stop, Oscar Wilde. I’ve visited his statue in Merrion Square more than any other in the city. The emerald coat, the expression on his face, and the writer’s lounge as he stares out across the street to his childhood home all fit so well with what you read of his quips and other literary efforts.

Scan the QR code (sometimes you have to hunt to find them; this one is on a pillar to the far right) and press the green button that says “Go!” Your phone will ring. Answer it and the statue will speak to you via some very talented actors.

The map says, “As a man, he was known for his wit and flamboyance, and his statue is equally elegant.”

George Bernard Shaw

Next, I moved to the National Gallery of Ireland. They require a reservation for entry, but it’s free. You’ll go all the way through the museum with its current one-way traffic, so enjoy what’s available along the way — art, sculpture, a play area. 

George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (1912) became the movie My Fair Lady (1964). He felt strongly about the National Gallery and bequeathed a third of his royalties to the museum upon his death, which has funded programs for disadvantaged youths and society at large.

At the Clare Street entrance, you’ll see his statue in the grand hall.

Molly Malone

Down to Suffolk Street to meet Ireland’s most famous (and fictional) fishmonger, Molly Malone. Her eponymous song has become the city’s unofficial anthem. Her statue even acknowledges it.

While she is fictional, the song references historically accurate expressions like “Dublin’s fair city” and street vendors’ shouts of “Alive, alive O.”

Step back in time at the Wolfe Tone statue on St. Stephen’s Green, a poignant reminder of sacrifice and determination. As the bronze figure gazes toward history, it’s a stark tribute to Wolfe Tone’s unwavering commitment to Ireland’s independence. His selfless pursuit left behind a young widow and fatherless children, a sacrifice etched into the city’s fabric. Just as his story echoes through the halls of Kilmainham Gaol’s library, the Talking Statues capture his spirit, inviting you to listen to the whispers of a brave visionary who gave everything for a nation’s dreams.

Statues No Longer Talking

As a special bonus for TravelAwaits readers, have a listen to some of these statues that no longer have easily identifiable QR codes.

James Joyce

About a block past the General Post Office, you’ll reach the James Joyce statue on Earl Street North. A favorite resting place for weary shoppers and revelers, Mr. Joyce contemplates his permanent return to Dublin, the city he considered central to his writing, though he lived abroad most of his life.

Ulysses , Finnegan’s Wake , A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man , and Dubliners are amongst his works.

James Connolly

Walk toward the River Liffey to find the James Connolly statue at Beresford Place.

Connolly moved to Dublin from Edinburgh at 14, and following his time as trade union leader, political theorist, author, and revolutionary socialist became a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising. 

It was his (and the other leaders’) execution that so deeply angered the Irish and brought new light to their plight, rousing sympathy in America and Britain that led to Irish independence in 1922.

Touring Dublin following these statues and the others that are part of the Talking Statues project and visiting the city around them gave me a new perspective on this city I’m loving more intently, more profoundly as I immerse myself in its history.

“Hags With The Bags”

Located on the Dublin 1 side of the Ha’Penny Bridge in front of the well-liked restaurant, The Woolen Mills, these shopping ladies sit and chat with an Arnott’s bag front and center. The bench remains a popular place to sit. It’s as though you’re joining two old friends.

Jim Larkin 

His statue, with outstretched arms in front of the Spire on O’Connell Street in Dublin 1, represents the work he did for Dublin City unions. On the pedestal rests a quotation in Irish, English, and French, “The great appear great because we are on our knees. Let us rise.”

For additional inspiration, consider these 17 free things to do in Dublin .

This article originally appeared on TravelAwaits

Oscar Wilde Walking Tours Dublin

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

OSCAR WILDE WALKING TOURS DUBLIN - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)