Georgian Dublin Walking Tour, South (Self Guided), Dublin

Ever since five story terraces were built for the aristocracy, Dublin's Georgian architecture has been much admired around the world and is an icon of the city. From the beginning of the 18th century to the first half of the 19th century, Dublin became a city transformed. Out went the old medieval buildings and in came magnificent Georgian homes.

Experience this rich Georgian heritage when you go to Merion Square, which was laid out in 1762. This beautiful square features gorgeous terraced Georgian houses on three of its sides. You don’t need to be an architecture buff to appreciate their splendor. Today, most of these are home to offices, but behind their impressive brick façades is a lot of history. Number 1 Merion Square is where Oscar Wilde lived as a child, while poet W.B.Yeats lived at number 82. Irish political leader Daniel O'Connell resided at number 58. Bram Stoker, the legendary author of Dracula used to come to the square to attend Lady Wilde's salons. At its center is an attractive public park, a wonderful place to spend some downtime. Relax on the grass, visit the central floral garden and the heather garden and see the collection of old Dublin lamp posts. There are also several sculptures here.