The Headquarters for The 1916 Rising

The G.P.O. was built in 1817 and is the last great Georgian-era public building in Dublin. It became famous forever when it was used as the headquarters for the Easter Rising of 1916. It was attacked by the British forces who extensively damaged the building. The Ionic columns on the front portico are still pocked with bullet marks. Inside the building, you see an original copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. There is also a statue of the mythical hero Cúchulainn which was featured on the Irish ten-shilling coin of 1966. Outside the GPO you can see 393 foot high Spire of Dublin. This replaced Nelson’s Pillar which was destroyed by an IRA explosion in 1966. Although the building has remained a symbol of Irish nationalism the ground rent continued to be paid to its English and American landlords until the 1980s. Only in Ireland!