Nicknames of Dublin Statues

Dublin is a city that doesn't take itself too seriously, and nothing proves that better than the cheeky, rhyming nicknames residents give to public monuments. This walk takes you past several iconic statues to share the local humor and stories behind each one.

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1. The Oscar Wilde Monument

The Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture sits on a large quartz stone, featuring a reclining Wilde draped in a coat of tri-colored stone including pink granite from Galway and green marble from Connemara. Sculptor Danny Osborne designed the…

2. Wolfe Tone Sculpture

The bronze figure of Wolfe Tone stands tall on a limestone plinth, draped in a heavy, knee-length frock coat with his arms firmly crossed. He gazes over Saint Stephens Green, marking the spot where the original barracks once stood. For…

3. Phil Lynott Statue

The bronze figure of Phil Lynott stands on Harry Street with his feet planted wide and his bass guitar held high. He looks out toward the entrance of Bruxelles bar, where he used to hold court during his years leading Thin Lizzy. In two…

4. Molly Malone Statue

The Molly Malone statue is a bronze figure of a young woman pushing a cart filled with cockles and mussels. She wears an eighteenth-century dress with a low-cut bodice, a style that earned her the local nickname The Tart with the Cart.…

5. Meeting place

The General Post Office on O'Connell Street features a massive portico with six fluted Ionic columns and a frieze that stands out against the Dublin skyline. Built in eighteen eighteen, it served as the center of Ireland’s postal system…

6. The Spire

The Spire is a stainless steel pin that reaches four hundred feet into the Dublin sky. It marks the spot where Nelson’s Pillar once stood until an explosion brought the monument down in nineteen sixty-six. For years, the site remained a…

7. James Joyce Statue

The James Joyce statue stands on North Earl Street, anchored by a slender, bronze figure of the writer leaning on a cane with his other hand tucked deep into a coat pocket. Marjorie Fitzgibbon sculpted the piece in nineteen ninety, casting…

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