Advertisement
We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you’ve seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
One-off amount
I already contribute
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Investigates
Investigates
Money Diaries
Daft.ie Property Magazine
Allianz Home Magazine
The 42 Sports Magazine
TG4 Entertainment Magazine
The Journal TV
Climate Crisis
Cost of Living
Road Safety
Newsletters
Temperature Check
Inside the Newsroom
The Journal Investigates
The Explainer
A deep dive into one big news story
Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture
have your say
Or create a free account to join the discussion
Advertisement
More Stories
Alamy Stock Photo
re-imagining the GPO
Marie Sherlock
Honour the history of the GPO by making it an artists’ hub
As the debate about what to do with the GPO rages on, the Dublin TD says it could be a major artistic hub in the capital.
7.01am, 1 Jul 2025
Share options
AT AROUND 25,000 square metres, the GPO complex on O’Connell Street in Dublin is two-thirds bigger than the pitch in Croke Park.
For many of us who call Dublin home and for those who visit the capital, we think of the post office at the front of the building and the wonderful exterior facing onto O’Connell street. But physically, the GPO is so much more than that. With two internal courtyards, offices which go up five storeys high and a relative newly interpretative centre there is a whole world of possibility for a re-imagined GPO.
Sadly, from what we heard last week, the Government appears devoid of any imagination. With an office vacancy rate of 18.6% in Dublin’s city centre at the end of last year, according to Knight Frank, it’s clear Dublin does not need any more shiny new offices.
Indeed, one of the reasons An Post cited for relocating its 900 staff to the docklands was because the GPO office space had not been renovated since the 1980s, and there are significant mechanical and engineering challenges in modernising the offices. So if the bill is too high for An Post, then who else is going to put in the necessary multi-million euros? And for whom?
Advertisement
Retail, a major historic project and a cultural hub were the other crumbs of detail that the public got from the Government in the past week. There is no indignity to retail, the sector generates local jobs and is the lifeblood in terms of employment for communities close to O’Connell Street, but do we really want major big brands taking up residence in one of Ireland’s important and historic buildings?
Retain its character
For us in the Labour Party, the GPO can be much more than a shrine to the past. Instead, the sacrifice of so many in 1916 is best remembered by ensuring the GPO is a living, breathing institution.
That starts with keeping the post office at the front of the complex. At a time when so many post offices have been relegated to the back of the local shop and crucially when postmasters are telling us their business is increasingly unviable, it is vital that we retain post office services in the GPO, which have been there since 1913.
Secondly and really crucially, we believe there is enormous potential for the GPO complex to become a thriving artistic and residential hub in the heart of the city, combining important remembrance of the GPO’s past, with desperately needed artist space and accommodation for Dublin’s future.
For almost two decades now, we have seen the hollowing out and dramatic loss of many of Dublin’s artistic and cultural spaces. This has been a devastating process where culture has not been able to compete with capitalism.
In that context, the GPO as a public building offers an incredible opportunity to become a place to create and to showcase the best of our country’s creativity across a range of art forms. Natural light fills the courtyards, and as any visual artist, writer, theatre group or musician will tell you, their need for space is basic but crucial for them to create. Furthermore, the new chapter in the GPO’s life could be really groundbreaking by converting a number of offices into apartments.
Related Reads
Surrealing in the Years: Screw it, let’s put a Carroll’s Irish Gifts in the GPO then
‘Don’t you dare’: Heated Dáil exchange over GPO changes and Republican ‘revisionism’
Mary Lou McDonald says plans to revamp GPO as mixed used ‘cultural’ hub is a ‘betrayal of history’
One thing for certain: we know the demand for artist spaces is huge. In December 2021, Dublin City Council commissioned a Dublin City Cultural Infrastructure Audit. At that time, there were over 2,500 artists and 25,000 creative workers recorded in Dublin, but no more than 392 individual and 137 shared artistic workspaces. Four years on, progress is painfully slow across the city.
The Dublin task force already recognises the need for O’Connell Street to become a residential area, and while the task force set out ambitious plans, that hasn’t been matched with the funding. This goes to the heart of the issue with the GPO. Do we really believe a FF-FG Government is going to stump up the money any time soon for elaborate and expensive reconfigurations of the GPO? The same Government that pulled the plug this month on 250 desperately needed social homes due to cost implications.
As a TD in Dublin Central, I know there is already a very long list of necessary projects to be funded in the Dublin 1 area, and the implementation report published last week inspires no confidence that Government departments will bring flair and finance to the GPO project anytime soon.
The vast majority of those offices at the back of the GPO have been vacant for two years now — it’s a scandal to allow them to lie vacant for any longer. As a starting point, let’s have them put to use as an artist space and over the next five years, let’s develop the GPO to do justice to the sacrifice of the past and be a beacon for the potential of our future.
Marie Sherlock is a Labour TD for Dublin Central.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone…
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Support The Journal
Marie Sherlock
View 7 comments
Send Tip or Correction
Embed this post
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Email “Marie Sherlock: Honour the history of the GPO by making it an artists’ hub”.
Recipient’s Email
Feedback on “Marie Sherlock: Honour the history of the GPO by making it an artists’ hub”.
Your Feedback
Your Email (optional)
Report a Comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment.
Please give full details of the problem with the comment…
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
before taking part.
Leave a Comment
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel.
Racism or Hate speech
An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs.
Trolling or Off-topic
An attempt to derail the discussion.
Inappropriate language
Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs.
Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts.
Please provide additional information
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
Leave a commentcancel
Newly created accounts can only comment using The Journal app.
This is to add an extra layer of security to account creation.
Download and sign into the app to continue.
Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user
View our policy
⚠️ Duplicate comment
Post Comment
have your say
Or create a free account to join the discussion
1916 rising
irish rebellion
O’Connell Street
re-imagining the GPO
News in 60 seconds
Good Morning
The 8 at 8: Tuesday
21 mins ago
Glounthaune
Man and woman in their 80s found dead in Cork home as garda investigation launched
31 mins ago
naughty or nice
The government is drawing up a list of the best (and worst) councils for housing delivery
Jane Matthews
41 mins ago
Taoiseach to begin four day visit to Japan today aimed at strengthening trade relationship
44 mins ago
Carlos Alcaraz shrugs off inconsistency after surviving Wimbledon scare
50 mins ago
Commuters told to expect delays for DART services this morning
Big beautiful bill
Voting on amendments for Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ drags on as he takes swipe at Elon Musk
Woman who live-streamed Kneecap at Glastonbury to millions says fans ‘had a right to see it’
extreme heat
Spain hits new June temperature record amid ‘unprecedented’ heatwave across southern Europe
Garda impersonated colleague online to encourage men to come to her home and rape her
Glastonbury
UK police launch criminal investigation after viewing footage of Kneecap and Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury sets
more from us
Investigates
Daft.ie Property Magazine
Allianz Home Magazine
The 42 Sports Magazine
TG4 Entertainment Magazine
Money Diaries
The Journal TV
Journal Media
Advertise With Us
About FactCheck
Our Network
FactCheck Knowledge Bank
Terms & Legal Notices
Terms of Use
Cookies & Privacy
Advertising
Competition
more from us
TV Listings
GAA Fixtures
The Video Review
Journal Media
Advertise With Us
Our Network
The Journal
FactCheck Knowledge Bank
Terms & Legal Notices
Terms of Use
Cookies & Privacy
Advertising
Competition
© 2025 Journal Media Ltd
Terms of Use
Cookies & Privacy
Advertising
Competition
Switch to Desktop
Switch to Mobile
The Journal supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie
Report an error, omission or problem:
Your Email (optional)
Create Email Alert
Create an email alert based on the current article
Email Address
One email every morning
As soon as new articles come online