Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Farther along is
William Smith O'Brien,
O'Connell's protégé and leader of the Young
Ireland Movement, who was imprisoned and exiled. At Abbey Street, a block detour east
leads to the famous
Abbey Theatre,
where turn-of-the-century nationalists (including the
poet-playwright W. B. Yeats) staged Irish-themed plays. The original building suffered a
fire and was rebuilt into a nondescript, modern building, but it's still the much-loved home
of the Irish National Theatre.
• Continue up O'Connell Street.
Look for the statue of
Sir John Gray,
who, as a newspaperman and politician, was
able to help O'Connell's cause. The statue of
James Larkin,
arms outstretched, honors
the founder of the Irish Transport Workers Union.
• On your left is the...
General Post Office:
This is not just any P.O. It was from here that Patrick Pearse
read the Proclamation of Irish Independence in 1916, kicking off the Easter Uprising. The
building itself—a kind of Irish Alamo—was the rebel headquarters and scene of a bloody
five-day siege that followed the proclamation. The post office was particularly strategic
because it housed the main telegraph node for the entire country. Its pillars are still pock-
