Celebrate the 210th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the GPO in 1916 Easter Rising!

The GPO Museum is delighted to present a new, specially researched tour about the building at the heart of Irish history, identity and the fight for independence – the General Post Office.

Join us as we dig through the past and uncover the stories hidden within the walls of this iconic building. This tour will bring guests through the construction of the General Post Office in the 1800s. From the stones which built up its walls and the statues presiding over its roof to its celebrated designer, architect Francis Johnson. Discover how it stands in comparison and alongside other historical, architectural feats in Dublin such as the Four Courts and the Custom House. Take a journey through the alterations made over two centuries and the impact the destruction of the 1916 Rising had on the building.

The tour will explore the day to day operations of the GPO over 200 years. How people used it, who they were, and the workers who provided these essential services. As a centre of communications emphasis will be placed on the significant role the GPO has had in Irish society, its many years as a site of protest and commemoration, and its role at the centre of one of Ireland’s most historically significant weeks – Easter week 1916.

The tour will bring guests right up to the present day as we journey through the building’s reconstruction, and its leading role in modernising Ireland through communications – including radio and television broadcasting.
Booking is essential, as availability is limited. This special tour will last approximately 1 hour.

Please note this tour will take place in areas of the building currently accessible to the public and not the whole building.

Pre-book only

The tour will include a section in the main post office on the ground floor where there will be other members of the public. The tour will go through the museum in the basement level which can be accessed by the stairs or by a lift. There are approximately 17 steps, there are handrails and embedded white stone strips to indicate the edge of each step. There are a number of cases throughout the museum spaced out to allow access by wheelchair or mobility aid users. There are benches in a few areas. The museum has low level lighting with spotlights in the cases or on panels. There is an immersive film experience in the museum area which contains loud noises of explosions and gunfire and flashing images which may be audible and visible in nearby sections of the museum. The tour will go to the 1st floor which is accessed by a different set of stairs or lift. There are approximately 26 steps, with handrails and embedded white stone strips to indicate the edge of each step. The tour will go out to a courtyard accessible by push button activated automatic doors that are wheelchair and mobility aid accessible. One set of doors is power assisted. The tour will return to the admissions area of the museum on the ground level accessed via another set of stairs or lift. There are approximately 8 steps, with handrails and embedded white stone strips to indicate the edge of each step.

Wheelchair accessible
Accessible Toilets
Assistance Dogs welcome