New, improved GPO to be rebuilt on O’Connell Street
Dublin, 27 January 1923 - The Postmaster General, Mr. JJ Walsh TD, has said the building of a General Post Office on the ruins of the old one on O’Connell Street would start as soon as possible. Speaking to press representatives yesterday, the Cork TD also announced that large grounds to the back of the site on Henry Street would be included in the new scheme. The British government, he revealed, was prepared to pay £85,000 to acquire the additional premises.
The urgency of establishing a fully-equipped GPO was underlined by the fact that work at present was being conducted from 30 to 40 out-offices instead of two or three. Mr. Walsh also has plans for new stamps which will be released in the coming months.
A new 1 ½d. Stamp would be issued in early February featuring a blank map of Ireland in the center. The map of Ireland will also feature on the 1d stamp which will be issued in the coming month. A Celtic Cross stamp, designed by Miss Lily William from Ranelagh (who also designed the original Sinn Féin stamps) will feature on the 3d and 10d stamps, while the ‘sword of light’, designed by JJ O’Reilly from Westmoreland Street, will appear on the ½ d, 5d, 6d and 1s stamps. Finally, the arms of the four provinces, designed by Miss M. Girling of the School of Art in Dubin, will appear on the 2 ½ d, 4d and 9d stamps.
Mr. Walsh explained to journalists that the new state had been ‘developing an international mail service during the last 12 months’ and the result of its efforts had led to ‘two bags daily from Dublin to France; two bags daily from Dublin to Germany; and direct letter and parcel mails for San Francisco, St. Louis, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia via Cobh.’ The return mails would be received in the same way.
The Postmaster General said that the government intended to use the mail service as ‘a means to compel transatlantic liners to call at Cobh, both inland and outward.’ Mr. Walsh also discussed the subject of aerial transit.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
