Merrion Square
The best-preserved Georgian square in Dublin, its doorways photographed constantly and its former residents listed on plaques.
Updated 19 October 2026
Merrion Square was laid out from 1762 and is the most intact of Dublin's Georgian squares - three sides of brick terraces with fanlights and the painted panelled doors that became a tourist image in the 1970s, when a poster of them was produced partly in response to demolitions elsewhere in the city. Plaques record who lived where: Oscar Wilde at number 1, Daniel O'Connell at 58, W B Yeats at 82, Sheridan Le Fanu at 70. The central garden was private to residents until the 1970s and is now a public park, with a reclining statue of Wilde on a boulder at the north-western corner, a set of Georgian lamp standards, and the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Leinster House along the western side. On Sundays artists hang paintings on the railings, a practice going back decades. The houses are almost all offices and embassies now.
History
The square was laid out in 1762 to a plan by John Smyth and Jonathan Barker for the estate of Viscount FitzWilliam, Samuel Sproule laid out the east side around 1780, and the gardens followed a competition won by Benjamin Simpson in 1792. In that same year, before the Liffey was fully walled, the Duke of Leinster sailed a boat on a flood tide from Ringsend as far as the north-east corner of the square (Wikipedia, Merrion Square).
What to look for
- The doorways - the painted Georgian doors and fanlights on three sides.
- The plaques - Wilde, O'Connell, Yeats and Le Fanu among the residents.
- The Wilde statue - reclining on a boulder at the north-west corner.
- The Sunday artists - paintings hung on the park railings.
When to go
April to October for the park. Sundays bring the art on the railings. The park closes at dusk and earlier in winter.
Practical notes
The houses are offices and embassies - none of the interiors are open except by occasional event. The park is pleasant but small. Photographing doorways means standing on a live footpath.
Nearby
The National Gallery and Natural History Museum are on the square; Trinity College is a short walk.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q630780, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Merrion Square
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
