Wolfe Tone statue

AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF ST STEPHEN’S GREEN

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The Famine sculpture, located within St Stephen’s Green, is a poignant memorial to the victims of the Famine (1845–51). It features three figures and a dog [I have never seen an account that mentioned the dog], sculpted by Edward Delaney in 1967. This sculpture stands as a stark reminder of one of the most devastating periods in Irish history.

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The Wolfe Tone statue, situated outside the park, is a solitary figure cast in bronze that has weathered green over the decades. The statue commemorates Theobald Wolfe Tone, a founding father of Irish republicanism. The statue is often referred to by locals as ‘Tonehenge’, a playful nickname that combines ‘Wolfe Tone’ with ‘Stonehenge’, the famous prehistoric monument in England. This nickname is part of a broader Dublin tradition of giving humorous nicknames to local sculptures.

Other examples include the ‘Tart with the Cart’ for the Molly Malone Statue, and the ‘Prick with the Stick’ for the James Joyce Statue.

Across the street from these sculptures, there used to be a sculpture named TRACE by Grace Weir. Commissioned in 1988 as part of Dublin’s millennium celebrations, it consisted of two archways made of Portland stone from the Customs House, limestone, bronze, and stainless steel. However, due to changes in traffic flow for the Luas Cross City, the sculpture was dismantled in 2013 and is currently in storage.

Nicknames

The Spire: This towering stainless steel spike on O’Connell Street is known variously as “The Stiletto in the Ghetto” or “The Spike”.
The Molly Malone Statue: This representation of a fishmonger (made famous by a song) is affectionately called “The Tart with the Cart” or “The Dish with the Fish”.
The Oscar Wilde Statue: Reclining languidly in Merrion Square, the literary giant is dubbed “The Fag on the Crag”.