The General Post Office (GPO)

This unassuming civic structure on O’Connell Street, built in 1818, was made famous by the role it played in the Easter Rising of 1916.

After members of the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army seized the building, Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic from its front stairs, declaring the country’s independence. The British army laid siege upon the building and nearly destroyed it, subsequently executing many of the surviving rebels.

The struggle for independence continued and was completed by others, and the General Post Office Building became a symbol of sacrifice for future generations. The bullet marks in the facade remain, despite extensive renovations begun in 1929.

The General Post Office Building contains an imposing bronze sculpture created by Oliver Shepherd. It was dedicated to the participants of the Easter Rising, and depicts the death of Cuchulainn, popular hero of Irish legend.