General Post Office (GPO)

Description:

• Don't be fooled by the nondescript name: With a facade of Ionic columns and Greco-Roman pilasters 60m long (197 ft.) and 17m high (56 ft.), this is more than a post office -- it is the symbol of Irish freedom. Built between 1815 and 1818, it was the main stronghold of the Irish Volunteers during the Easter Rising. On Easter Sunday, 1916, Patrick Pearse stood on its steps and read a proclamation declaring a free Irish Republic, which began, "In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty." Then he and an army of supporters barricaded themselves inside the post office. A siege ensued that ultimately involved much of the north of the city, and before it was over, the building was all but destroyed. It had barely been restored before the civil war broke out in 1922 and it was heavily damaged again. After that, it remained closed until 1929. It's still a working post office today, although it does house a few exhibits, including the original declaration of independence. We rarely bother going inside, though; touching the bullet holes in the walls out front is a far more potent way to experience a sense of this building's history

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010