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GPO Museum The award winning GPO Museum tells the story of the 1916 Easter Rising and modern Irish history.
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GPO Museum is an engaging, interactive visitor attraction bringing history to life through technology, video, sound and authentic artefacts - many previously unseen.

William Smith O'Brien was born. He came to prominence in the 1840s, supporting Daniel O'Connell's Repeal movement. In ...
17/10/2026

William Smith O'Brien was born. He came to prominence in the 1840s, supporting Daniel O'Connell's Repeal movement. In the midst of the Great Famine, O'Brien was one of the men organizing the 1848 Rebellion, alongside John Mitchel, and the Young Irelander Leader, Thomas Francis Meagher. The rebellion proved unsuccessful, and O'Brien was sentenced to death, then exile to Tasmania. He was released in 1854 he was released, and in 1856 he was able to return to Ireland, but did not return to politics.

To hear more about his compatriot Thomas Francis Meagher, come see our exhibit in collaboration with .

Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland Creative Commons.

Please note that the north door (Henry Street) is closed due to structural reasons. The GPO Museum is open as usual. The...
17/10/2026

Please note that the north door (Henry Street) is closed due to structural reasons. The GPO Museum is open as usual. The south door (Prince's Street) is still open. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Éamon de Valera was one of Irish history's most controversial figures. We explored that difficult legacy last year, comm...
14/10/2026

Éamon de Valera was one of Irish history's most controversial figures. We explored that difficult legacy last year, commemorating 50 years since his death. Today marks his 144th birthday.

Image courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.

Today marks the death of Charles Stewart Parnell. The Irish statesman made a mark on Irish history fighting for Home Rul...
06/10/2026

Today marks the death of Charles Stewart Parnell. The Irish statesman made a mark on Irish history fighting for Home Rule, becoming known as the "Uncrowned King of Ireland". After a brief period of illness, Parnell passed away. Over 250,000 people attended his funeral, making it one of the largest in Ireland's history.

Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland Creative Commons.

26/09/2026

110 years has passed since the 1916 Easter Rising and ten years since GPO Museum opened its doors as Dublin’s first museum dedicated purely to that event and Ireland’s revolutionary period more broadly. However, the ways in which we commemorate those events, and who we commemorate, have changed drastically in the century since. Questions over how to approach remembering and commemorating the foundation of the state have received different answers at different points in time.

Join GPO Museum’s team of seasoned tour guides as they present and reflect on how they approach researching and communicating these complex events in the present.

To book click here: https://www.gpomuseum.ie/events/remembering-revolution-dublin-festival-of-history-2026/

Images courtesy of the National Library of Ireland
Image of Warsaw Old Town courtesy of Europeana/Biblioteka Cyfrowa Politechniki Warszawskiej

Following the start of the First World War and the stalling of the Government of Ireland Act (Home Rule) 1914, the Iris...
24/09/2026

Following the start of the First World War and the stalling of the Government of Ireland Act (Home Rule) 1914, the Irish Volunteers split. John Redmond, leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party called for the Irish people to join the war effort. Of the 180,000 Volunteers, only 5,000 remained in the organisation, and 175,000 joined up with the National Volunteers and joined the war. The Irish Volunteers managed to recover numbers (15,000) in time for the Easter Rising.

Images courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.

the Irish revolutionary and doctor Kathleen Lynn died aged 81. She worked tirelessly for the rights of women, the work...
14/09/2026

the Irish revolutionary and doctor Kathleen Lynn died aged 81. She worked tirelessly for the rights of women, the working class, and those in poverty. She was Chief Medical Officer of the Irish Citizen Army and founder of the St. Ultan's Hospital.

Image courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

in 1919 the first Dáil was declared illegal by the British authorities. Following the general election of 1918, the el...
11/09/2026

in 1919 the first Dáil was declared illegal by the British authorities. Following the general election of 1918, the elected members of Sinn Fein took a stand by refusing to take their seats in Westminster, forming their own parliament at home.
Following the ban on the Dáil, Sinn Fein were forced to meet sporadically in various locations, making it difficult to properly conduct business, but they adapted. The ban also brought with it more frequent raids, forcing the government departments to move around Dublin City. Cumann na mBan members were heavily relied upon in this period as both secretaries, in charge of protecting important files and papers, and couriers, ensuring that communication ran smoothly, and discreetly, throughout the country.
The growth of the illegal parliament was an unintended, yet unavoidable, consequence.

Images courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.

W. T. Cosgrave became the President of Dáil Éireann following the death of Arthur Griffith.Image courtesy of the Natio...
09/09/2026

W. T. Cosgrave became the President of Dáil Éireann following the death of Arthur Griffith.

Image courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.

in 1975, Éamon de Valera died.De Valera's life and career in Irish politics shaped the country throughout the twentiet...
29/08/2026

in 1975, Éamon de Valera died.

De Valera's life and career in Irish politics shaped the country throughout the twentieth century. His involvement in the 1916 Rising turned the page on his career in academic mathematics, as had been his initial pursuit, and facilitated his rise to become the dominant political personality in Ireland for much of the early twentieth century. By the time he became President of Ireland (after already serving for more than 20 collective years as head of government) he was the world's oldest serving head of state.

Much of his life and legacy continues to be hotly debated today, most notably his attitudes toward the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, role in the Irish Civil War that followed, and personal involvement in the social aspects of the 1937 Constitution - particularly the place of women in society. Other aspects went on to form core tenets of Irish political identity, such as military neutrality.

What is undeniable, however, is that de Valera's legacy continues to be visible in modern Ireland. To learn more, visit our museum.

Address

O'Connell Street
Dublin
1

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+35318721916

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