General Post Office (GPO)

General Post Office (GPO) of Dublin serves as the headquarters of An Post, a postal service of Ireland, and also as the main post office of Dublin. Located in the heart of main O’Connell Street, the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin is one of the most popular buildings of Ireland. This is also the last public building constructed for representing the Gregorian style of architecture in the city of Dublin.

The General Post Office (GPO) was first housed in one small building at the site of the renowned Commercial Buildings found in close proximity to the Dame Street. The GPO was shifted to a bigger house just across the bank placed at College Green and the GPO was moved to Sackville Street. This was named afterwards as O’Connell Street, on the 6th of January in 1818. The 1st Earl Whitworth, Charles Whitworth laid the cornerstone of the new building on the 12th of August in 1814.

The building was completed within a short time period of three years after spending the amount of 50,000 British pounds, the design of the General Post Office (GPO) being created by Francis John. The façade of the post office, which is extending 220 feet, contains a fascia of six hollow lonic columns, each being 137.16 centimeter in diameter. The central portion of the entablature is very beautiful and the wall surface of the gable offer regal beauty.Three statues of Mercury, Hibernia and Fidelity, which are sculpted by John Smyth, can be seen on pediment’s acroteria.

The entablature excluding the architrave can also be seen on the remaining part of the façade. The entire building is made of granite brought from the mountain whereas only the fascia is made of Portland stone. The General Post Office (GPO) is comprised of three stories, the basement being banned.

On the occasion of 1916’s Easter Rising, the General Post Office (GPO) offered service as the base for the leaders of the uprising. The attack of the British troops caused great damage to the post office and it was repaired after the government of the Irish Free State began the assignment after few years. The old columns of the building still contain the marks of the bullets and an authentic reproduction of the Proclamation has been put on display in the philatelical office of the General Post Office (GPO) permanently.

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