General Post Office, Post office in O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland.
The General Post Office is a postal building on O'Connell Street in Dublin, built in Georgian and Greek Revival styles. Six Ionic columns support a pediment adorned with three statues representing Mercury, Fidelity, and Hibernia, while the main entrance leads into the ground floor hall.
In 1916 the building served as headquarters during the Easter Rising, when Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic from its front steps. After the suppression of the uprising, the interior suffered heavy fire damage and was later rebuilt.
The name Hibernia on the pediment refers to the ancient Roman term for Ireland, linking classical architecture with deep local symbolism. Visitors today see a bronze figure of the hero Cúchulainn in the main hall, evoking the uprising and the myths of Celtic heritage.
The building opens from Monday through Saturday and offers both postal services and access to a small museum dedicated to the history of the uprising inside. Visitors can enter the main hall and view the memorial plaques and monument on the ground floor.
Until the 1980s the building continued to pay rent to foreign landlords, even though it had long become a symbol of Irish independence. This situation reflects the complex legal aftermath of the colonial past.
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