THE SQUARE IS NOT NAMED AFTER OSCAR WILDE
MARIAN STATUE AT OSCAR PARK LOCALLY KNOWN AS ROSARY PARK [PHOTOGRAPHED 4 AUGUST 2025]
I came across the following comment a few weeks ago: " The statue in Oscar Park is not definitively a Marian Year 1954 statue. There is no a reference on or near it to the Marian Year. It is a statue of the Virgin Mary, which may have been erected in 1954 to commemorate the Marian Year, a year of special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, without a plaque or other documentation, this cannot be confirmed." The fact that it was erected in 1955 is inscribed on the base of the statue.
About twenty years ago I booked a walking tour of the Liberties and the tour guide informed us that Oscar Park was named in honour of Oscar Wilde and, to me, this did not sound right but for various reasons I never bother checking until about 2020 when I spoke to some locals about the park and the area in general.
Oscar Park, a small urban green space in Dublin’s Liberties, has a rich history that reflects the area's evolving identity. Often mistakenly linked to the writer Oscar Wilde, the park's name more likely honours a figure from Irish mythology, Oscar, son of Oisín.
This theory is supported by the context of the surrounding Tenters estate, one of Ireland's first public housing schemes, built between 1922 and 1924. During this period of national identity formation, it was common to name public spaces after figures from Irish heritage. The naming of nearby roads, such as Clarence Mangan Road and O’Carolan Road, reinforces this pattern, suggesting that Oscar Square was also named after a significant figure from Irish culture – the mythological Oscar.
The park's history includes a period where it was known as Rosary Park. According to local accounts, the space was traditionally closed to the public except on Sundays. This suggests a gradual shift in common usage from Rosary Park to Oscar Park, perhaps reflecting a move towards emphasising Irish cultural figures.
The square's history also includes a period as Rosary Park. According to a local resident, as recently as December 2020, the space was still known by this name, and was traditionally closed to the public except on Sundays. This suggests a gradual shift in common usage or a formal name change, possibly reflecting a move towards emphasising Irish cultural figures.
Furthermore, the square's history includes a period as a World War II trench shelter during “The Emergency.” Historical records and local accounts corroborate this, with one resident recalling the entrance to a shelter located at the park's steps.
Finally, while the space is often referred to as a "square," local publications describe it as a "triangular patch of green." This discrepancy may reflect a change in the park's physical layout or a broader interpretation of the term "square" to refer to the urban area rather than the precise geometric form.
I came across the following comment a few weeks ago: " The statue in Oscar Park is not definitively a Marian Year 1954 statue. There is no a reference on or near it to the Marian Year. It is a statue of the Virgin Mary, which may have been erected in 1954 to commemorate the Marian Year, a year of special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, without a plaque or other documentation, this cannot be confirmed." The fact that it was erected in 1955 is inscribed on the base of the statue.
About twenty years ago I booked a walking tour of the Liberties and the tour guide informed us that Oscar Park was named in honour of Oscar Wilde and, to me, this did not sound right but for various reasons I never bother checking until about 2020 when I spoke to some locals about the park and the area in general.
Oscar Park, a small urban green space in Dublin’s Liberties, has a rich history that reflects the area's evolving identity. Often mistakenly linked to the writer Oscar Wilde, the park's name more likely honours a figure from Irish mythology, Oscar, son of Oisín.
This theory is supported by the context of the surrounding Tenters estate, one of Ireland's first public housing schemes, built between 1922 and 1924. During this period of national identity formation, it was common to name public spaces after figures from Irish heritage. The naming of nearby roads, such as Clarence Mangan Road and O’Carolan Road, reinforces this pattern, suggesting that Oscar Square was also named after a significant figure from Irish culture – the mythological Oscar.
The park's history includes a period where it was known as Rosary Park. According to local accounts, the space was traditionally closed to the public except on Sundays. This suggests a gradual shift in common usage from Rosary Park to Oscar Park, perhaps reflecting a move towards emphasising Irish cultural figures.
The square's history also includes a period as Rosary Park. According to a local resident, as recently as December 2020, the space was still known by this name, and was traditionally closed to the public except on Sundays. This suggests a gradual shift in common usage or a formal name change, possibly reflecting a move towards emphasising Irish cultural figures.
Furthermore, the square's history includes a period as a World War II trench shelter during “The Emergency.” Historical records and local accounts corroborate this, with one resident recalling the entrance to a shelter located at the park's steps.
Finally, while the space is often referred to as a "square," local publications describe it as a "triangular patch of green." This discrepancy may reflect a change in the park's physical layout or a broader interpretation of the term "square" to refer to the urban area rather than the precise geometric form.
