O'Connell Street

Travel Guide

O'Connell Street

Vue aérienne sur O'Connell Street à Dublin - © Irish Drone Photography

Explore O'Connell Street

Tourist attractions

Irish monuments 4 Museums in Ireland 2 Bridges 1 Excursions in Ireland 1 Irish public buildings 1

Irish pubs

Irish pubs in O'Connell Street 4

Tourist attractions

Irish Restaurants and Pubs

Partner Accommodations

Campgrounds and Lodging

O'Connell Street : Must-See Attractions

Vue aérienne de la General Post Office (GPO) de Dublin - © Irish Drone Photography

The General Post Office (GPO)

O'Connell Street - O'Connell Street

Le Spire, Dublin - © David Soanes

Irish monuments

The Spire

For the Irish, it is what the Eiffel Tower is for the French! This spire is a monument symbolising renewal in Dublin!

o connell bridge 1

Bridges

The O’Connell Bridge

The O'Connell Bridge is one of Dublin's many bridges across the River Liffey, linking the two sides of the city. An emblematic bridge!

dublin ghost tour

Excursions in Ireland

Dublin Ghost Tour

The most terrifying tour of Dublin takes place on this bus! An ingenious concept for guaranteed thrills!

general post office dublin

Museums in Ireland

GPO Witness History

A museum dedicated to the history of the General Post Office, Dublin's central post office, which suffered the Easter Rising of 1916.

general post office dublin

Museums in Ireland

The An Post Museum

Its exhibition on the History of the Irish Post Office is extremely interesting! A must for local culture buffs!

cuchulainn

Irish monuments

The statue of Cú Chulainn

A statue that pays tribute to the sacrifice of the Irish during the Easter Rising in 1916!

o connell monument dublin 1

Irish monuments

The O’Connell Monument

Located on Dublin's main thoroughfare is the O'Connell Monument, a statue to an Irish national hero: Daniel O'Connell.

Jim Larkin statue - © giumas

Irish monuments

The statue of Jim Larkin

Stroll down Dublin's O'Connell Street and you'll come across the statue of Jim Larkin, an Irishman famous for his 20th-century trade unionism.

Inspiration

Further Reading

O'Connell Street

O’Connell Street is the Irish equivalent of the French Champs Elysées. This avenue is part of the main artery of Dublin city centre, stretching 500 meters long and 49 meters wide, making it one of the widest avenues in all of Europe! A constant thoroughfare for Irish pedestrians, the avenue has become a commercial and tourist artery, where grand historic monuments coexist with major tourist brands, fast-food chains, and some hotels. Here is an overview of what not to miss!

History of O’Connell Street

A famous avenue despite its young age

Aerial view of O'Connell Street in Dublin - © Irish Drone Photography

Aerial view of O’Connell Street in Dublin – © Irish Drone Photography

This great avenue has not always borne the name it is known by today.

From its creation until 1924, Dubliners called it “Sackville Street.” Its name was finally changed to “O’Connell Street,” in honor of Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), a national hero who devoted his life to the peaceful struggle for Irish Independence and the end of anti-Catholic discrimination.

Since then, O’Connell Street has become Dublin’s largest artery. It gathers numerous commercial outlets and restaurants, as well as hotels and other accommodation options.

Visiting O’Connell Street

The Spire

O'Connell Street and the Spire - © icarmen13

O’Connell Street and the Spire – © icarmen13

A true tourist curiosity, the Spire is actually a gigantic conical sculpture built right in the middle of O’Connell Street. Its base, 3 meters in diameter, tapers up to 120 meters high, ending in a 15cm diameter point. You can also observe that the top lights up every night with a bluish light, making it an excellent way to spot O’Connell Street at night if you ever find yourself lost in other parts of the city: the tip of the Spire is visible from many places!

For a bit of history, the Spire replaces an old column: the Nelson Pillar, a 37-meter construction that was very unpopular, built by the British to commemorate their victory at Trafalgar. Outraged by this building glorifying the British, the IRA quickly blew up part of the column, and it was only in 1999 that the Spire project came to life. It symbolized an Irish renewal and the Independence of the Republic of Ireland without British presence.

Feel free to visit it: it is the Irish equivalent of the French Eiffel Tower!

The Statue of Daniel O’Connell

This statue is located at the south end of the avenue, in front of the O’Connell Bridge, and was erected in honor of Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), after whom the avenue was named. Very imposing, this statue shows Daniel O’Connell in his lawyer’s attire, in a dignified and solemn posture.

This statue, erected in the 1920s/1930s, pays tribute to the Irish nationalists who fought to achieve the Ireland we know today.

The Statue of Charles Stewart Parnell

At the other end of the avenue, to the north, stands a second statue, this time depicting Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891), an Irish politician who, like Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), fought for Irish Independence by encouraging the vote for Home Rule and fighting against inequalities targeting the Irish peasant class.

It is therefore no coincidence that Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) is on this avenue: he is, like his neighbor, a true national hero.

The General Post Office

The General Post Office is located at the height of the Spire and is a major historic site in Irish history. This building is none other than the headquarters of the Irish National Post, which is still active today. (You can send a postcard to your loved ones there).

Built in 1814, the General Post Office was considered a strategic building during the 1916 Easter Rising. The IRB seized it during the revolt, and the building was somewhat damaged, then renovated a few years later.

Pubs and Fast-Foods every 15 meters

No risk of going hungry or thirsty on O’Connell Street: the avenue is full of pubs, restaurants, and fast-foods. Among them, especially:

a McDonald’s
a Burger King
a Supermac’s
a specialist Fish and Chips outlet (which we highly recommend)
pizzerias
numerous pubs offering Irish specialties (Irish Stew, Irish Breakfast, etc.).

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