I came upon this intriguing statue strolling through a park one day in May a few years ago. I had to ask a local who the man was that was represented sprawled across a rocky crag---in color no less.

Do YOU know who he is?

Would it help if I told you the park was in Dublin?

What if I pointed out how colorful the statue is?

What if I added that he was a poet, writer, and playwright?

What if I told you he was the darling of London theatre?

What if I added he was jailed for  indecency (homosexual activity)?

He penned The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Importance of Being Earnest, and more.

He wrote witty phrases: “Be yourself; everyone else is taken” and “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

He comes from a prominent Irish family and his mother was an influential member of the Irish literary revival.

His full name was Oscar Fingal O’Fahertie Wills Wilde and he was quite a character.

It was so much fun to come across this nontraditional statue commemorating him in Merrion Square, Dublin as I wandered back to my hotel from Trinity College by an exploratory route.

I had previously encountered him (i.e. his statue) on the pedestrian walkway of Galway City, sitting on a bench in a much more dignified pose. I also saw his family name throughout the beautiful, unspoiled northern corner of Connemara that is bordered by the Atlantic and the Fjord of Killlary. But this clever statue brought him to life and led me to learn more about him.

For me, that’s one of the most wonderful aspects of travel.

Let’s hope we all can travel again soon in safety.