Explore the real-world places that appear in In the Woods by Tana French. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Knockmaroon Woods, Dublin Metropolitan Police Headquarters, St. Catherine's Church, University College Dublin, Katy Devlin's School and 10 more.
Near Phoenix Park — The crime scene and childhood trauma site
The heart of the novel. Rob Ryan and his childhood friends venture into these woods on May 20, 1984, and two of them—Peter Savage and Jamie Rowan—are murdered in a ritualistic fashion. Rob is found traumatized and amnesiac, unable to recall the details of the murders. Twenty years later, as an adult detective, Rob returns to the same woods when another young girl is found murdered there, forcing him to confront his repressed childhood memories and the possibility that his past and present cases are connected.
Knockmaroon is an ancient woodland area adjoining Phoenix Park, one of Europe's largest urban parks. The area has been a site of historical significance since medieval times, with various estates and properties dotting its boundaries. Phoenix Park itself was established as a hunting ground in the 1660s by the Duke of Ormond.
Knockmaroon Woods remains a natural woodland area, part of the greater Phoenix Park ecosystem. It is accessible to walkers and hikers, though it is relatively undeveloped and maintains much of its wild character. The park attracts families and nature enthusiasts.
Visit: Phoenix Park (park)
Harcourt Street — Murder squad offices where Rob works
Rob Ryan works here as a detective in the Murder squad. His partnership with Cassie Maddox forms the investigative core of the novel. Together they work the contemporary murder of Katy Devlin, a 12-year-old girl found dead in Knockmaroon Woods. Rob's obsessive behavior, his cryptic clues, and his increasing emotional instability strain both the investigation and his relationship with Cassie as she begins to suspect he is hiding something about the original 1984 murders.
The Dublin Metropolitan Police headquarters on Harcourt Street has served as a major police administrative and investigative center in Dublin since the 19th century. The building is an iconic part of Dublin's institutional landscape.
The building continues to house Dublin police operations and is not open to general public tours, though it remains a functioning government building in central Dublin.
Thomas Street — Where the Savage family home was located
This is near the residential area where Peter Savage lived with his family. Peter is one of the two murdered children from the 1984 Woods incident. Details about Peter's home life and family are critical to understanding the investigation, as Rob and the reader piece together who Peter was and whether his family situation contributed to his murder or its cover-up.
St. Catherine's Church is a historic parish church in Dublin's inner city, dating back centuries. The surrounding neighborhood of Thomas Street has been a residential and commercial area throughout Dublin's modern history.
St. Catherine's remains an active Catholic parish church, though it is not generally open for casual tourist visits outside of Mass times.
Belfield — Where Rob studied archaeology before becoming a detective
Rob attended UCD and studied archaeology, a field that reveals his fascination with the past, evidence, and hidden truths. His academic background informs his approach to detective work. The choice of archaeology foreshadows his obsession with excavating buried secrets, both literal and metaphorical, from the 1984 murders.
University College Dublin was founded in 1854 and is one of Ireland's leading universities. The Belfield campus, opened in 1962, is a major academic and research institution.
UCD Belfield is a sprawling modern university campus open to visitors. It features architecture spanning several decades, libraries, student facilities, and beautiful grounds. Campus tours are available.
Visit: University College Dublin (landmark)
Dublin suburbs — Where Katy attended classes before her murder
Katy Devlin, the twelve-year-old murder victim, attended school in the Dublin suburbs. Her school friends are interviewed as part of the investigation, providing crucial context about her life, her relationships, and her state of mind in the weeks before her death. Her teachers' observations about her behavior become forensic clues.
Dublin's suburban school system developed significantly from the 1960s onward as the city expanded outward. Schools like this became central community institutions.
Suburban Dublin schools continue to operate and serve their communities, though specific school names in the novel are fictionalized.
Dublin's main river — Divides the city and is referenced throughout
The Liffey serves as a geographical and symbolic divider in Dublin. References to north and south side neighborhoods establish the social geography of the city. The river and Dublin's urban landscape provide the setting for the detectives' movements through neighborhoods and investigation sites. The river's presence underscores the novel's sense of place and the way the city contains both innocence and danger.
The River Liffey has been Dublin's defining geographical feature for centuries, serving as the basis for the city's growth and commerce since medieval times. Bridges across the Liffey have been crucial to Dublin's development.
The Liffey remains central to Dublin's geography and is a site of recreational use, riverside walks, and cultural significance. The riverbanks are accessible to the public in many areas.
Visit: Dublin Riverfront (park)
South Dublin — Where Rob lives as an adult detective
Rob's apartment is his private refuge, where he lives alone and becomes increasingly withdrawn as the investigation progresses. Cassie visits him here, observing the disorder and isolation of his life. His home becomes a space where his psychological unraveling is evident—filled with clues about his state of mind, his obsession with the case, and his deteriorating mental health as repressed memories surface.
South Dublin's residential neighborhoods expanded significantly from the 1970s onward as the city grew. Mid-range apartment buildings became common housing for young professionals.
South Dublin remains a primarily residential area with apartments, townhouses, and homes. The specific locations in the novel are fictionalized.
Dublin suburbs — Where Cassie grew up
Cassie's background and family life are gradually revealed through the novel. Her childhood home represents the normalcy and stability that contrasts sharply with Rob's traumatic past. Details about her upbringing inform her character as an investigator and reveal why she is both drawn to and disturbed by Rob's increasingly erratic behavior.
Dublin suburban homes like Cassie's represent mid-20th century Irish residential development, part of the post-war expansion of Dublin's commuter belt.
Dublin suburbs continue as residential family neighborhoods, with homes ranging from older Victorian terraces to modern housing estates.
Knockmaroon Woods edge — Where the 1984 bodies were discovered
This is where Peter Savage and Jamie Rowan were found murdered on May 20, 1984. The forensic details of their bodies, their positioning, and the ritualistic nature of the murders are central to understanding both the original case and its connection to Katy Devlin's contemporary murder. Rob's inability to remember the details of what happened becomes the emotional core of the investigation.
The 1984 crime scene was heavily investigated at the time, though the case was never officially closed. The location has remained part of Dublin's criminal history and local lore.
The woods continue as a natural area. The specific murder locations are not marked and remain accessible only as part of the general woodland landscape.
Visit: Phoenix Park (park)
Dublin — Where Rob may have been treated after 1984
After the 1984 murders, Rob was found traumatized and sent to a psychiatric facility to recover from severe psychological trauma and amnesia. The exact nature of his treatment and what doctors learned about his mental state becomes crucial to the investigation. Rob's refusal or inability to discuss his hospitalization raises questions about what he is hiding and what was medically documented about his condition.
Dublin's psychiatric hospitals served patients throughout the 20th century, often struggling with resources and overcrowding. St. Fiachra's represents the institutional care system available to Irish children in the 1980s.
Dublin's psychiatric facilities have evolved significantly. Historic hospital buildings have been repurposed or modernized.
South Dublin suburb — Residential neighborhood where characters live
Templeogue is a south Dublin suburb where some of the characters reside. The neighborhood represents the ordinary suburban world that contrasts with the darkness of the murders. It is the kind of place where children should be safe, making the murders more shocking and disturbing to the community.
Templeogue developed as a suburban residential area from the mid-20th century onward, becoming a typical Dublin commuter suburb with schools, shops, and family homes.
Templeogue remains a residential suburb of Dublin with schools, parks, shops, and homes. It is a living community open to visitors passing through.
Visit: Templeogue Village (landmark)
Dublin suburbs — Katy's residence before her death
Katy Devlin's family home is where she lived with her parents. The detectives visit here to interview her family, gather personal information, and understand her state of mind. Her bedroom, her belongings, and her family's grief become part of the investigative landscape. The house represents innocent domesticity violated by murder.
Dublin suburban family homes like Katy's are typical of post-war residential development, representing the aspiration for stable family life.
The specific house is fictionalized, but similar homes exist throughout Dublin suburbs as private residences.
King Street North — Historic Dublin transport hub
Broadstone represents Dublin's historical infrastructure and the city's geography. References to transport and movement through the city establish the detectives' investigation routes. The station is part of Dublin's urban landscape that grounds the novel in a specific place and time.
Broadstone Station was the terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway, opened in 1850. It served as a major transport hub for Dublin residents traveling outside the city.
The historic building still stands and is now used for other purposes. The station is not in active use as a railway terminus but remains architecturally significant.
Visit: Broadstone Station Building (historic site)
Grafton Street & Dame Street — Urban hub where investigation unfolds
The city centre serves as the operational base for the detectives' investigation. Walking through Dublin's streets, they visit witnesses, gather evidence, and navigate the social geography of the city. The urban environment provides the setting for their interactions with the public and each other. The city itself becomes almost a character, with its neighborhoods and streets reflecting the divisions and secrets being investigated.
Dublin's city centre has been the heart of Irish commerce, government, and culture for centuries. Grafton Street and Dame Street are historic thoroughfares lined with shops, offices, and cultural institutions.
Dublin's city centre remains a vibrant commercial and cultural hub, with shops, restaurants, theaters, and government buildings. It is a major tourist destination and living city center.
Visit: Dublin City Centre (landmark)
South Dublin waterway — Natural feature of the landscape
The Dodder is a natural water feature in south Dublin. References to rivers and natural features in the novel establish the geographical setting and contrast natural beauty with the ugliness of murder. The natural landscape provides both the setting for the crimes and a sense of the world's indifference to human suffering.
The River Dodder flows through Dublin's south side, having shaped the area's geography and development for centuries. It has been a boundary line and a feature of the natural landscape throughout Dublin's history.
The Dodder remains a living river with recreational walking paths along its banks in many areas. It flows through parks and residential neighborhoods.
Visit: Dodder Valley Park (park)
More by Tana French: All Tana French books
More novels set in Dublin: Browse all Dublin books on Map A Story
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