On Easter Monday 1916, the GPO (General Post Office) became the headquarters of men & women who sought through armed rebellion to win Irish independence from Britain. The General Post Office controlled communications at that time, and GPO Staff played a prominent part in both sabotaging & restoring the telegraph and telephone lines which helped determine the outcome of the insurrection.
Independence was declared at the Portico of The GPO in the words of a Proclamation, read aloud by the Leader of the Rising, Patrick Pearse, on Easter Monday, 24th April 1916. The Proclamation that was prepared by PH Pearse & the other signatories of the 1916 Rising reads as follows:
"WE DECLARE THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND TO THE OWNERSHIP OF IRELAND, AND TO THE UNFETTERED CONTROL OF IRISH DESTINIES TO THE SOVEREIGN AND INDEFEASIBLE. THE LONG USURPATION OF THAT RIGHT BY A FOREIGN PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT HAS NOT EXTINGUISHED THE RIGHT, NOR CAN IT EVER BE EXTINGUISHED EXCEPT BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE IRISH PEOPLE. IN EVERY GENERATION THE IRISH PEOPLE HAVE ASSERTED THEIR RIGHT TO NATIONAL FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY; SIX TIMES DURING THE PAST THREE HUNDRED YEARS THEY HAVE ASSERTED IT IN ARMS. STANDING ON THAT FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND AGAIN ASSERTING IT IN ARMS IN THE FACE OF THE WORLD, WE HEREBY PROCLAIM THE IRISH REPUBLIC AS A SOVEREIGN INDEPENDENT STATE, AND WE PLEDGE OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OUR COMRADES-IN-ARMS TO THE CAUSE OF ITS FREEDOM, OF ITS WELFARE, AND OF ITS EXALTATION AMONG THE NATIONS."
The story of Easter Week and its enduring influence on Irish History will be told in a new exhibition, "GPO Witness History" at The GPO, during 2016.
The GPO is a short 5 minute walk from The Anchor House B&B, so make sure to include a visit to this unique exhibition during 2016.