Located halfway along O’Connell Street, beside the Spire, this iconic Georgian building opened in Jan 1818 and is the HQ for Ireland's postal service. Perched at the top are three statues: Mercury, Fidelity and Hibernia (Latin for the island of Ireland).
Less than 100 years after its opening, the GPO was to play an important role during the Easter Rising of 1916 when it became the headquarters for the leaders of the uprising.
Less than 100 years after its opening, the GPO was to play an important role during the Easter Rising of 1916 when it became the headquarters for the leaders of the uprising.
The building was extensively damaged during the fighting but the facade was largely unscathed and the GPO was rebuilt and reopened as a post office in 1929. Inside, a bronze sculpture of the legendary Irish warrior Cúchulainn is dedicated to those who died in the Easter Rising.
The building continues to operate as a post office and also houses an interesting museum whose Letters, Lives & Liberty exhibition tells the fascinating and historic story of Ireland's postal service. An original copy of the Proclamation of Independence is also on display.
