Cork City

GPO General Post Office

The Oliver Plunkett Street section of the G.P.O. in Cork stands on the site of an old theatre called the Theatre Royal. The Pembroke Street section is on the site of an old branch of the Cork Savings Bank. The Theatre Royal was founded by the actor Spranger Barry and was opened in 1760. It was modelled on the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin, where Barry had previously worked. This theatre was destroyed by a fire on 1st April 1840. In 1853 the theatre was reopened and the name Theatre Royal was retained. During the 1860s the theatre was extensively refurbished under the direction of the outstanding architect Sir John Benson. The refurbished theatre was officially opened on 26th December 1867. In 1875 the theatre was sold to the postal service and the new G.P.O. was opened in 1877.

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