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Off The Beaten Path Dublin

  • Writer: Erin
    Erin
  • Jul 12, 2020
  • 2 min read

Updated: Jul 29

Ireland is full of excellent sites. There are many more attractions that get overlooked. This week we are traveling to Dublin and off the beaten path.


A black metal park bench with wooden slats appears to be partially "eaten" by the thick, gnarled trunk and roots of a large tree. A section of the tree's trunk has grown around and enveloped the backrest and armrest of the bench. The scene is set on a patch of dirt next to green grass under natural light.
Hungry Tree

Hungry Tree

This tree in Dublin never got the memo that Ireland is known for it’s Bangers and Mash. Instead this 80 year old tree has been slowly eating a cast iron bench that has stood in its growing path. You won’t be able to sit here as the entire back of the bench has been consumed by the tree. Be sure to stop and see this oddity if you are visiting The Honorable Society of King’s Inns, which is the oldest law school in Ireland.


A close-up view of the entrance to the Oscar Wilde House in Dublin, Ireland. The open front door, flanked by two white fluted columns, reveals a glimpse of the interior with a chandelier. To the right of the door, a black circular plaque commemorates Oscar Wilde, and a smaller rectangular plaque is below it. A black wrought-iron fence with spiked tops runs across the foreground, and a red double-decker bus is partially visible on the street to the far left. A "NO SOLICITATION" sign is visible on the fence.
Oscar Wilde House

The Oscar Wilde House

Oscar Wilde grew up in Dublin, and his family home still stands as it did back then. In addition to being his family home, it was also his father's optometry practice. You can visit the house run by American College, and there are guided tours from April through September. On the tour, you can stroll through their dining room and even the surgery hall.


Two bronze statues of women are seated on a stone bench in a city setting, depicting "The Meeting Place" in Dublin, Ireland. The woman on the left is facing forward, while the woman on the right has her legs crossed and is looking towards the left, seemingly in conversation with the other figure. A bronze handbag rests on the ground next to the left figure, and a bronze shopping bag is near the right figure. In the background, closed storefronts with metal shutters display blue signs, and a bicycle is parked against a pole.
Meeting Place

Meeting Place

Two women with shopping bags sitting in one of the busiest shopping areas in Dublin is not abnormal, but what makes these two women unique is that they are carved from bronze. The statue is known as the meeting place. It is meant to symbolize ordinary life in Dublin, and a tribute to the women in the city. The statues are located near the Ha'penny Bridge, close to the center of the town. In 2017, the women were given voices, and their stories can be heard on the Talking Statues of Dublin project.


A historic stone archway, Saint Audoen's Gate in Dublin, Ireland, opens to reveal a dark passage and steps beyond. The gate is made of rough-hewn grey stones, with large black metal grates on hinges that are currently open. A dark plaque with white text, reading "DUBLIN CITY GATES 1240 A.D.", is mounted above the archway.
Saint Audoen’s Gate

Saint Audoen's Gate

The last remaining portal to medieval times in Dublin is Saint Audoen's Gate. It once protected the city from invaders. This is the last standing portion of the wall. You can walk through the restored piece and adventure through a meandering pathway to discover older parts of the lost city wall when you visit.


A historic, multi-story stone building with a prominent clock tower and symmetrical windows, identified as the National Museum of Ireland, is viewed through a rough-hewn stone archway. The building's facade is light grey with blue doors. In front of it, a wide, open courtyard or plaza stretches out. The sky is overcast.
National Museum of Ireland

National Museum of Ireland

Museums may not be considered off the beaten path. However, this museum is like a museum within in museum. The National Museum houses more than just the animals and other Irish artifacts. It has been unchanged since the Victorian era. Many of the taxidermy animals are over a century old. One of the most famous is a Polar Bear with bullet holes in it.


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