General Post Office

The capital's last great Georgian public building, and the headquarters of the Easter Rising in 1916.

TravelCurious Tip

As the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, now is the time to visit. However, be wary of the larger crowds that will inevitably be drawn by the planned calendar of events.

A National Icon

There are few greater symbols of the dramatic history of Irish Republicanism than Dublin’s General Post Office. Inaugurated on the 1st of June 1818, the magnificently fronted building was famously the headquarters of the Easter Rising in 1916. Also known as the Easter Rebellion, the movement was a bold attempt to end Britain’s rule of Ireland while the majority of its military forces were engaged in the First World War.

Though the rebellion was crushed within a week by vastly superior numbers and firepower, and its ringleaders executed, the event was instrumental in reinvigorating Irish republicanism and is considered a landmark event in bringing about the end of British rule. Walking around the GPO today, you cannot help but be drawn into the history of the place as you examine the bullet and shrapnel holes that pepper the outer walls. The year 2016 marks the centenary of the rising, and a variety of events and exhibitions have been planned across the city to commemorate it.


Stone and Fire

Even without its impact on the course of Irish history, the GPO would still easily merit a visit. One of the capital’s great Georgian buildings, its 67-metre wide granite façade immediately catches the eye as you stroll down O’Connell street, the city’s main thoroughfare. A beautiful Ionic portico consisting of six fluted columns serves as the building’s centerpiece, summited by statues of Mercury, Fidelity and Hibernia on the pediment. Though a large part of the building was destroyed by fire following the heavy shelling of 1916, the grandeur and national pride contained within this old post office remains untarnished.


Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Dublin
Ha’penny Bridge
An elegant icon of Dublin, the first pedestrian bridge to cross the Liffey.
Temple Bar
A lively cultural and creative quarter on the south bank of the River Liffey.
Irish Houses of Parliament
Today a branch of the Bank of Ireland, the old Irish Parliament buildings were a radical Neoclassical creation.
O'Connell Monument
A memorial to the 19th-century nationalist leader located in the heart of Dublin city.
Garden of Remembrance
A garden memorial that commemorates all the Irishman who gave their lives for Irish freedom in rebellions.
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is the heart of Dublin's thoroughfare - with shopping, pubs, restaurants and historic landmarks, including the old post office.

Related Tours

The Best of Dublin including Trinity College: Private Tour
Discover the culture and vibrancy of Ireland between the rolling landscapes and foggy skyline and see the best of Dublin and its historical highlights on this half-day tour with your knowledgeable tour guide and Dubliner.

On your private tour, you will:

  • Explore the best of Dublin and see its most popular highlight with a private guide;
  • Relive the history of the city, and even see a historic Viking home;
  • See Christ Church Cathedral in the heart of Dublin founded in 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen;
  • Walk through the Dubh Linn Garden of Dublin Castle, with over 800 years of history;
  • Enjoy the various architectural styles present throughout the city like the City Hall, each speaking to one of the different eras of Dublin;
  • Stroll through several of the city’s famed sites, including Grafton Street and Temple Bar;
  • Pass by the famous Ha’penny Bridge and O'Connell Bridge;
  • See the statue of Molly Malone and learn the story of this fictional girl who was a fishmonger and the star of a well-known Irish song; 
  • Visit Dublin's famed university Trinity College and the famous people who studied here, from Oscar Wilde to Bram Stoker and Samuel Beckett;
  • See the acclaimed Book of Kells, the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts housed in the Old Library.

Dublin has a rich 2,000-year-old history, spanning from the Celts to the modern-day; this curated walking tour will bring that history alive. On your tour, you will explore the castle’s 800-year history. Near old Christ Church Cathedral, you will learn about the area's history as a Viking settlement, and view the site of the world’s first performance of Handel’s Messiah.

Continue your turn about the city with a dive into some of Dublin's most famous architectural buildings, including the Neoclassical 18th-century former House of Parliament and the Georgian-style City Hall. You will also visit the famous Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural and entertainment quarter and one of the liveliest nightlife areas that preserve its medieval street pattern, with many narrow, cobbled streets.

Visit the famed O’Connell Street, where you will see The Spire, Daniel O'Connell and James Joyce statues and the General Post Office. This is the very spot where the crowds gathered for the Declaration of Irish Independence and which became the inspiration for poetry and literature of the era. You will hear all about the many writers and rebels from your knowledgeable local guide. 

Stepping on the Ha’penny Bridge, a beautiful pedestrian bridge that once charged the eponymous half penny to cross, we will cross the River Liffey to learn all about the famed Trinity College, Ireland’s first and most acclaimed university. 

You will hear about the college’s numerous treasures and tales of renowned past students, including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker as well as visit its campus and see the famous Book of Kells, the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts.

Your tour will leave you not only full of the local history of the capital city but also with a great foundation to explore the city at your own leisure. 

Please note: external guides are not allowed in Trinity College so you will be parting ways with your guide at the entrance where you will join a small guided tour the visit to the Trinity College Campus, Old Library and the Book of Kells.
The Road to Independence: Private Walking Tour of Dublin
Explore some of the most important sites of the Easter Uprising of 1916 in the beautiful city of Dublin, independent Ireland's capital city. See the scenes of fierce fighting, the statues of rebel leaders on O'Connell street and the rebels' HQ at the General Post Office – end at the moving Gardens of Remembrance.

On your private tour, you will:

  • Learn about Ireland’s long road to independence from Britain, and the many significant figures who played key roles in fighting for it, from Victorian politicians, doctors and priests, to the leaders of the Easter Uprising in 1916;
  • Learn about the Uprising that took place in the middle of the First World war, and how it was brutally and swiftly crushed by British soldiers;
  • See the General Post Office, where Patrick Pearse read aloud the Proclamation of Irish Independence in 1916 – effectively kickstarting the Easter Rising. It became the rebel headquarters, the scene of a bloody five-day siege, and the site of their final surrender;
  • Learn about the uprising’s failed attempt to capture Dublin Castle at the start of the conflict;
  • Relive the intense struggle that took place in the City Hall, and hear about the horrific police brutality;
  • See the Shelbourne Hotel, where the Irish Constitution was drafted in 1922;
  • Walk up O'Connell Street, lined with statues of the men who outspokenly called and fought for Irish independence, starting with Daniel O’Connell (1775 – 1847) who organised many hundreds of non-violent protests and demanded civil rights for Irish Catholics in the British Parliament;
  • Notice how many of the pedestals of these Irish heroes of independence are pockmarked with bullet holes, from the violence of the 1916 rebellion;
  • Hear the life stories of the many figures of Irish Independence whose statues line the road, from James Larkin founder of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, whose strike in 1913 is considered the ‘first shot’ in the 1916 uprising, to figures from the 19th century like Father Theobald Matthew and Charles Stewart Parnell, who nearly won ‘home rrulein the 1880s;
  • Finish your tour at the Gardens of Remembrance, where the lives of all the Irishmen who died in the struggle for independence are commemorated.

While the fight for Irish independence or ‘Home rule’ had long been fought for, the Easter uprising of 1916 was a definitive moment in the history of Ireland and its long road to independence from the British. The rebellion took place in the middle of the First World War and was brutally suppressed by the British army. It paved the way for the election of Arthur Griffith as the president of a new nation six years later. 

In this 2.5 hours private walking tour, you will explore the most significant sites of the Easter Uprising in Dublin, while learning all about the history of the Emerald Isle and its turbulent, often violent relationship with Britain. Hear about the events that led to the Easter Uprising, its defeat and the fallout from it. 

Visit the General Post Office—the headquarters where the rebels declared Ireland a republic and raised the flag—to the City Hall, where fierce fighting took place. You will learn about the failed rebel attempt to capture Dublin Castle at the start of the conflict. 

After walking up O’Connell Street, lined with the statues of those who made significant contributions to the fight for Independence, you will end the tour at the Garden of Remembrance, where the lives of all the Irishmen who fought for freedom are commemorated. 

The memorial was placed on the site where rebel leaders of the Uprising were held before their execution. Above you’ll see the Irish flag, with the green colour representing Catholics, orange for protestants and white: a symbol of hope, that both can live together in peace. In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II visited the site, the first by a British monarch in 100 years. She laid a wreath of Remembrance and bowed her head. A deeply moving and healing moment for both countries. 
Welcome to Dublin: Private 2.5-hour Introductory Walking Tour
Explore the highlights of central Dublin on this fascinating private welcome tour of Ireland's vibrant capital city. Situated on the Liffey River and the Irish Sea, surrounded by mountainous countryside, Dublin has a history spanning over a thousand years. The city has so much to offer from its beautiful architecture and famous literary heritage to historic tales of the Vikings and Normans, the long fight for independence from the British, and its modern contemporary culture with picturesque cobbled streets, cafes, pubs, and general 'good craic!'  

On your private walking tour, you will: 

  • Meet your guide under the clock of the General Post Office - one of Dublin's grandest Georgian buildings that served as the Headquarters of the Easter Rising of 1916; 
  • Walk down the historic O'Connell's Street, the major thoroughfare of the city - renamed in 1924 after the Nationalist leader Daniel O'Connor whose statue stands proudly at the end of the street;
  • Stroll along the banks of the Liffey, crossing over the Ha'Penny Bridge, a pedestrian cast iron bridge built in 1816, with wonderful views; 
  • Stop inside the  famous Temple Bar -  popular with artists and poets, established in 1840 it is famous for its collection of 450 different types of whisky;  
  • Wander down Parliament Street, and stop to admire the magnificent Georgian architecture of City Hall built in the 1760s - a popular wedding venue and working civic centre;
  • Arrive outside the impressive Dublin Castle in the historic heart of the city - one of the most important buildings in Irish history built in the 13th century; 
  • Pass the famously buxom bronze statue of Molly Malone, the fictional star of a popular Irish song; 
  • Enter the grounds of the historic and awe-inspiring Trinity College complex where you'll learn all about this prestigious university, see the Parliament Square with the famous Campanile (the bell tower), admire the old library - famous for housing the 9th century Book of Kells and the Sphere within a Sphere sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro; 
  • Walk past other historic buildings to St. Stephen's Green, a historic tranquil and picturesque park in the centre of Dublin, famous for its role in the Easter Rising, and your tour in the historic centre of Dublin, at a local pub with a pint of Guinness or hot beverage of your choice on us! 

Enjoy this welcome to Dublin private tour with an expert local guide, the perfect way to get your bearings and to get to know the historic heart of Ireland's vibrant capital city.  You'll visit all the highlights of the city including the General Post Office on O'Connell's Street, the lively Temple Bar, Parliament Street, City Hall, historic Dublin Castle and Trinity College, and St Stephen's Green. 

You'll learn all about daily life in modern-day Dublin, as well as its long history dating back over 1000 years, as you walk along its quaint cobbled streets, passing beautiful, grand Georgian buildings, crossing the Liffey River into the fun, artsy and bohemian district of Temple Bar. 

At Dublin Castle, the historic heart of the city and still a working governmental complex today, you'll hear about the Vikings, and Normans, and the country's long struggle for independence from the English.  One of the most important buildings in Irish history, you'll be able to admire its 13th-century tower and surviving medieval structures. 

Dublin has witnessed everything from the Great Famine to the fight for Irish Freedom; today it's a leading country in the European Union, a thriving modern city with the annual St Patrick's Day Parade that attracts millions of revellers to the city to enjoy Irish folk songs, pints of Guinness and traditional Cèilidh dancing! 

On this tour, you'll also visit the prestigious Trinity College - and hear about the academic excellence, and poetic and literary appeal of the city - which was the home of many luminaries like James Joyce, W.B.Yeats, and Oscar Wilde. 

After a pretty stroll through St Stephen's Park, a popular green space in the city centre - with lots of history, your tour ends with a drink in a local pub on us, where you can ask your local guide anything about the city over a pint of Guinness or any drink of your choosing!

Slàinte!
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