I love Oscar Wilde - one of our dogs is named in his honor, and I made a special point of visiting his grave when we were in Paris a few years back. However, even though I knew this statue was in Merrion Square, and even though I have been to Dublin many times at this point, I had never seen it. On our most recent trip, though, we stayed right around the corner from the statue (and also Oscar Wilde's childhood home), so there was absolutely no chance that I would miss out on finally paying Oscar a visit!
The statue is gorgeous, and easily seen from the street, but it's definitely worth walking into the park for a close up view of Oscar in his full-color, reclining, smirky glory. Even on what was a cold, wet, and windy afternoon there were plenty of tourists waiting around to capture their perfect selfie with the man, so it took a few minutes for us to get our turn, but that wasn't a problem, as it just gave us more time to admire him. You don't see many statues like this that are in full color, and it's pretty cool. I read online that it's made of granite, jade, white jadeite, and thulite, and it really is the perfect compliment for someone who was such a colorful personality. In front of the rock where Oscar is reclining are two pillars, each topped with a small nude sculpture and covered in Wilde's quotes, also in color.
I'm so glad I finally got to visit this statue - it is definitely worth a visit. From here on out, whenever I'm in Dublin, I will be sure to pass by and give Oscar a wave. read more