Time to reimagine the GPO’s future

– Labour urges transformation of GPO into arts hub

Labour’s Dublin Central TD Marie Sherlock has called on the Government to honour the history of the GPO by transforming it into a major artistic and residential hub in the heart of the capital. With An Post relocating 900 staff to the Docklands, Deputy Sherlock said now is the moment to breathe new life into the GPO complex on O’Connell Street and ensure it plays a vital role in supporting artists and creative communities in Dublin.

Deputy Sherlock said:

“At around 25,000 square metres, the GPO is two-thirds bigger than the pitch in Croke Park. This is a vast, underused public space right in the centre of our city. While many people only see the iconic post office front, there is so much more behind it – two courtyards, five storeys of offices, and an interpretive centre. It has enormous potential.

“Sadly, from what we heard last week, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael appears devoid of any imagination. With an 18.6% office vacancy rate in the city centre, according to Knight Frank, Dublin simply doesn’t need more shiny new office blocks. If the space is too costly for An Post to modernise, then who exactly is going to spend millions renovating it – and for what?

“We in Labour believe the GPO must be more than a shrine to the past. Let it be a living, breathing institution. That starts with keeping the post office open at the front of the building. Post offices around the country are being relegated to the back of convenience stores, while postmasters warn us their business model is failing. The GPO post office has stood since 1818 – we must keep it alive.

“But more than that, we have an extraordinary opportunity to turn this public space into something truly powerful. For nearly two decades we’ve seen the loss of Dublin’s artistic and cultural spaces as culture gets priced out of the city. This is a chance to turn that tide.

“Natural light fills the GPO’s courtyards. We could convert offices into artist studios which are desperately needed for artists, writers, musicians. Let the GPO become a place where our future is shaped by creativity and community, not just remembered for history.

“As a TD for Dublin Central, I’m acutely aware of the pressing needs in Dublin 1. The implementation report published last week offered no reassurance that the Government is capable of delivering a meaningful future for the GPO. In fact, most of those offices at the back of the complex have been empty for two years. It’s a scandal to allow that to continue.

“Labour is calling for a plan to convert the GPO complex into an artistic hub. Let’s start by opening up the vacant offices to artists and cultural workers, and over the next five years, develop the GPO into a beacon for the future – a space that does justice to its past and serves the people of Dublin today.”