O’Connell Street

Take a self-​guided walk along O’Connell Street, Dublin’s widest street, for a taste of Dublin’s history and culture.
Originally named Drogheda Street, this 45-​yard-​wide promenade was built in the 1740’s and became a commercial success upon the opening of Carlisle Bridge, designed by James Gandon, in 1793 for pedestrians and 1795 for all traffic. Unfortunately, many of the Victorian and 1920s buildings on O’Connell Street were demolished in the 1970s and replaced with fast-​food joints, gaming arcades, and convenience stores. O’Connell Street was restored to its former status from 2002 to 2006, creating the modern O’Connell Street that we see today. A central plaza area was built in front of the General Post Office and new street furnishings including custom-​designed lampposts, litter bins and retail kiosks were installed.
Start your walk at the southern end of O’Connell Street, where the O’Connell Bridge spans the River Liffey. At the base of the street you’ll find the Daniel O’Connell statue. O’Connell Street is named after this Irish liberator who demanded Irish Catholic rights in the British Parliament. Further along the street you’ll find statues and monuments of William Smith O’Brien (leader of the Young Ireland movement), Sir John Gray (Irish journalist and politician), and James Larkin (founder of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union).
Other landmarks along O’Connell Street include:
Abbey Theatre (Where Yeats staged Irish themed plays.)
General Post Office (Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of Irish Independence here in 1916.)
The Spire (aka: the Stiletto in the Ghetto, the Stiffy on the Liffey, the Pole in the Hole, the Poker near the Croker, or the Spike in the Dike)
Moore Street Market
Gresham Hotel
Garden of Remembrance
Dublin Writer’s Museum
TIP: Most of the stores close at 7pm so you’ll want to take this stroll during the day.

As the voice on the LUAS says, this is the main shopping thoroughfare in Dublin. Everything you every want to buy is on this street or on a street right off of it. The city does an amazing job keeping it clean and are always improving it. I quite thoroughly enjoy shopping on the weekends and getting to walk down O’Connell every week not only because it is so lovely but so much history is here as well.

A truly beautiful statue in the middle of Dublin. It stands out like a huge beckon, a grand landmark to be sure. On the top of it is Daniel O’Connell, he was a Catholic Statesman. He was from Kerry and not Dublin. Beneath him you will find all the social classes of Ireland.
Someone fired a bullet into Daniel at some time, they say it happened in 1916.
He also has a few bullet holes in his arms. But he still stands tall and strong. Like the freedom fight of Ireland itself.
It is a lovely statue and worth having a look at.
Lots of local homeless like to gather here as well. I do not know why though.

I love this place! Even if it is very touristic, there is an atmosphere that make you know you’re in Dublin. According to the hour, you can feel if it’s time to go shopping, eating, drinking… This street never sleep! A perfect landmark to know if you just arrive in Dublin thanks to the Spire.
Les Champs Elysées of Dublin, that’s where you have to go first if you want to visit Dublin!

O’Connell Street is one of the first places I ever visited in Dublin.
From the bridge that gives you a view down both sides of the Liffey,
casts your eyes upon a collection of Dublin’s best.. .
You can’t possibly be in Dublin without coming across this famous street.
Whether you’re standing on the bridge and taking photographs with the backdrop of Dublin behind you, or selecting a tea/​coffee spot from the several cafes that surround you; don’t miss the shopping at stores like Penney’s, Carroll’s, and Ann Summer’s. Those are a few of the famous shopping sites on O’connell Street. You will also find yourself spoiled for choice with more eateries close by, as well as dessert and bakery spots.
As you walk along the area, visit famous landmarks including The General Post Office, The Spire, and most importantly the monument for Daniel O’Connell himself.
Enjoy your visit, have a pint, take photos, and be merry with the rest of ‘em. This is a popular destination for tourist, but a place many locals encounter daily. Be mindful of where you are and who all is around you. As great of a place it is, there can be trouble.
FYI: Be careful with your purse or bags whenever you are out. Guard your goodies.
I actually saw a young woman get her Samsung S4 mobile phone robbed just outside of a shop as she was likely texting or calling someone. Someone rushed by on a bicycle and stole the hole thing. :(Don’t take your mobile phone out if you don’t have to. Enjoy the moment!

During my first visit to Dublin O’Connell Street was not only my landmark to get back to the hotel, but it was also a source of my adventure. Walking the street, envisioning what it was like in the past, doing my own pub crawl, tasting some of the offerings at many restaurants — these were my main activities. And boy, there definitely was a lot to do. There are many landmarks around Dublin, O’Connell street may not be a must see but I would definitely want to have my hotel situated close to it. Not only is great for entertainment, but it has great routes for transportation — to and from the airport, other cities, different parts of the town. Again, it is not a place that you need to visit but being located near while visiting definitely has its perks.

I love O’Connell Street. There is always something going on and it is constantly bustling with activity. Granted it can be a bit touristy, but I love all the cheap shops and mayhem that goes along with it especially on a weekend night. If you ever need a light bite at the end of your evening, you will definitely find what you need here too.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this Street!!! It is lovely, charming and bustling with life and fun! The street itself has great shopping and sights! You can find everything you need here. Also, always clean! If not just stroll down or head off down Henry Street or any of the side streets for grand shopping, food and drink! A must stroll down this street is necessary!!!

A wonderful statue, and one of the great ironies in Dublin is to be found here.
O’Connell represents constitutional nationalism of course, yet in 1916 his statue would endure a hail of insurgent bullets. The next time you pass it, go to the back of the statue and look in the figure to O’Connell’s right. In the centre of her breast, you find a 1916 bullet hole.
O’Connell has a few bullets in his own arm, and there are others to be found in various places. This statue saw Irish nationalism move from a largely constitutional movement to a new, militant force.
On another note, I always say O’Connell gave Dublin something for which we can never repay him– Glasnevin Cemetery.

Ce que ce pont a d’amusant, c’est qu’il s’appelle «pont» justement, alors qu’il est plus large que long.
C’est un peu le point de départ obligé de toute visite de Dublin, le centre du centre en quelque sorte, et aussi le pont qui permet de retrouver tous les terminus de bus qui repartent vers la périphérie depuis le quai sud ouest.
Mouettes sur eau noire, ciel chargé… de quoi se régaler en noir et blanc.

O’Connell Street is not exactly grand nor aesthetically satisfying. It possesses a conglomerate of fast food restaurants and bargain basement shops all using cheap plastic shop fronts that are visually unattractive and garish.
Ok granted the street can pride itself on having satisfactory systematic traffic lanes that hand public ownership of the street back to the pedestrians, certainly more so than the crazy spaghetti junction that is College Green, but that’s it. The positives cannot justifying extend from there.
The contrast between the historic, celebrated milieu of College Green to the trashy pavements that make up O’Connell Street is huge. I don’t always feel safe walking north of the city late at night and often find myself clutching onto my handbag when walking up O’Connell Street with a much firmer grasp that normal owing to the crooked ambience.
The Spire and General Post Office, both situated on O’Connell Street are impressive on account of both stature and historic connotation but phallic historic symbolism means nothing when in the present day the reality of where you are deems you feel uneasy and henceforth I do not hold this street in high regard.

If you’ve ever walked along O’Connell street, and towards the Liffey, you’ll surely have come across this wonderful monument. It’s located directly opposite the GPO. You’ll most likely regard it as the «Angels statue» when in fact the highlighted figure is Daniel O’Connell perched at the top! Daniel O’Connell was known as the Liberator for his successful campaign to have anti-​Catholic legislation repealed by the British Government! However, the angels at represent the four provinces of Ireland — Ulster, Munster, Leinster & Connaught. There are actually bullet holes (from the assault by the British force) in the bosom of one of the angels, so keep your eye out for this!

Even though the Spire is a bit of an eyesore right in the middle of O’Connell Street, the street itself is one of the oldest in Dublin and it’s beautiful. There are statues at both ends of the Street and since the city council redid the street, you have a big sidewalk right down the middle, which is sometimes used to exhibit some more modern statues. Along O’Connell Street you can find the GPO, which has historical significance and used to house the Post Office as well– hence the name. It’s a great place for shopping as well, with Clery’s Department store right on O’Connell Street and Henry Street just around the corner. It’s a pretty busy street, but worth checking out when you’re doing the touristy thing.

Kerry-​born Daniel O’Connell is one of Ireland’s most venerated statesmen — he has this statue, the main street of the capital, O’Connell bridge and many more landmarks to his name. He fought for Catholic emancipation and the repeal of the Act of Union, with hundreds of thousands of people coming out to hear him speak at «monster meetings».
This statue doesn’t pull quite the crowds that the man himself used to, but it is a popular spot for tourists. They can be seen sitting on the steps beneath his feet, looking a little bewildered as they are surrounded by drunks and catcallers, who also use his plinth as a base for their operations.

A fantastic statue that I feel is the best monument we have to offer to the struggle of Irish freedom. The Statue features Daniel O’Connell on top, below him is a cross section of the people of Ireland with a representation of all the levels of society.
The statue is located right in the heart of Dublin. It is often in need of cleaning because of bird excrement. It is a meeting place for a lot of homeless people in the area, and while it is largely safe to sit around here you may find yourself hassled a little by beggars or my other more intimidating characters. However for the most part this is one of the greatest monuments in Dublin and a must see.

Meas mór don fuaiscailteoir.
Daniel O’Connell is the Liberator, not just in Ireland but in a global context as well. He influenced thinking amongst oppressed peoples as far afield as South Africa (Sol Plaatje) and America (Federick Douglass). Douglass actually spent six months touring Ireland with O’Connell sometime around 1845.
Interestingly, as a native of the Kerry Gaeilteacht, O’Connell never actually spoke as gaeilge in public.