Dodder Rhino

One of Dublin’s best-kept secrets is also one of its greatest mysteries! The proof is in the Dodder Rhino, an unusual and original sculpture that is sure to raise questions in Dublin! How did a life-size sculpture of a rhinoceros end up in the middle of the Dodder River without anyone knowing? In 2002, a large rhinoceros sculpture filled with cement appeared in a rather mysterious way… without ever lifting the veil on the reason for its presence!

See the Dodder Rhino

A massive rhinoceros sculpture in the middle of an Irish river!

The Dodder Rhino – jwd – cc

In Dublin, the inhabitants have fully accepted this strange statue… And it has even become a symbol of Rathmines, a district of Dublin.

At Dropping Well, one of the town’s oldest Irish pubs, the owners consider the resident of the nearby river to be their “pet”.

So much so that they even went so far as to organize a contest to name this strange scultpure! Suggested names included “Milltown Muddler” and “The Plodder in the Dodder”. But in the end, it was Dodder Rhino who prevailed.

If you want to see the sculpture, you’ll have to go to the Rathmines side, and walk along the river. The rhinoceros stands right next to a bridge, and has been positioned right in the middle of the water! It seems to stand proudly, looking in the direction of the stream…

Some will find it poetic, while others will express astonishment and incomprehension. To this day, the mystery of its presence has never been solved: no one knows why a strange rhinoceros was put there in Dublin… Just goes to show that art is also about shaking things up and asking questions!