Named after Daniel O'Connell, a nationalist leader in mid-19th century Ireland, O'Connell Street forms Dublin's main thoroughfare. Along this wide boulevard, you will find shops, restaurants and pubs, and not a few historic landmarks.
The General Post Office, center of the fighting in the 1916 Easter Rising, is right in the middle of O'Connell Street. Not far off is the Spire of Dublin, a 393 foot steel sculpture built in 2003. Knowing your Irish history will help you recognize many of the statues that line the center of the boulevard (including an elaborate one of Daniel O'Connell himself). Even for those who are not history buffs, however, the central location and grandeur of O'Connell Street makes it an important part of your visit to Dublin. 
