Visit O'Connell Street.

O’Connell Street is the Irish equivalent of the French Champs Elysées. Part of Dublin’s main city-center thoroughfare, it stretches for 500 meters and is 49 meters wide, making it one of the widest avenues in Europe! A place of constant passage for Irish passers-by, the avenue has become a commercial and tourist artery, where great historical monuments stand side by side with major tourist brands, fast-food chains and a few hotels. Here’s an overview of what not to miss!

History of O’Connell Street
A famous avenue despite its youth
Aerial view of O’Connell Street, Dublin – © Irish Drone Photography

This grand avenue wasn’t always as famous as it is today.

From its creation until 1924, Dubliners called it “Sackville Street”. Its name was eventually changed to “O’Connell Street”, in homage to Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), a national hero who fought throughout his life for Irish independence and an end to anti-Catholic discrimination.

Since then, O’Connell Street has become Dublin’s main thoroughfare. It’s home to numerous shops and restaurants, as well as hotels and other accommodation options.

Visit O’Connell Street

The Spire

A real tourist attraction, the Spire is actually a gigantic conical sculpture, built right in the middle of O’Connell Street. Its base, 3 metres in diameter, tapers to 120 metres in height, with a point 15cm in diameter. You’ll notice that the top of the Spire glows blue every night, making it an excellent way to spot O’Connell Street at night, should you happen to wander off into other parts of the city: you can make out the tip of the Spire from just about anywhere!

For the record, the Spire replaces a former column: the Nelson Pillar, a 37-metre-high construction of the most unpopular kind, built by the British as a tribute to their victory at Trafalgar. Revolted by the British glory, the IRA promptly blew up part of the column, and it wasn’t until 1999 that the Spire project saw the light of day. It symbolized an Irish revival, as well as the independence of the Republic of Ireland from the British.

Don’t hesitate to visit it: it’s the equivalent of the French Eiffel Tower, but Irish-style!

Daniel O’Connell Statue

Located on the south side of the avenue, in front of the O’Connell Bridge, this statue was built in tribute to Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), for whom the avenue was named. This imposing statue shows Daniel O’Connell in his lawyer’s robes, in a dignified and solemn posture.

Inherited in the 1920s/1930s, this statue pays tribute to the Irish nationalists who fought to create the Ireland we know today.

Charles Stewart Parnell Statue

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

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

The General Post Office

The General Post Office is located just off the Spire, and is a landmark of Irish history. The building is home to the Irish National Post Office, which is still in operation today. (You can post a postcard for your loved ones here).

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

Pubs and fast-food outlets every 15 metres

There’s no danger of starving or dying of thirst on O’Connell Street: the avenue is teeming with Pubs, Restaurants and Fast-Foods. Among them, let’s not forget :

• a MacDonald’s
• Burger King
• A Supermacs
•  Fish and Chips specialist (highly recommended)
• Pizzarias
• Numerous pubs serving Irish specialities (Irish Stew, Irish Breakfast, etc.).