Editing O'Connell Street (section)

==Easter Rising and Independence==
On 31 August 1913, O'Connell Street saw the worst incident in the [[Dublin lock-out]], a major dispute between workers and the police. During a speech given by workers' rights activist [[James Larkin]], police charged through the attending crowd and arrested him. The crowd began to riot, resulting in two deaths, 200 arrests and numerous injuries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/prelude/pr05.shtml|title=	Dublin Lockout 1913|work=BBC History|access-date=5 October 2020}}</ref>

[[File:O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Buildings in Lower O'Connell Street, constructed between 1918 and 1923|alt=View upwards of street buildings with green-domed roofs]]
During the [[Easter Rising]] of 1916, [[Irish republicanism|Irish republicans]] seized the General Post Office and [[Proclamation of the Irish Republic|proclaimed]] the [[Irish Republic]], leading to the street's bombardment for a number of days by the [[Royal Navy]] gunboat [[LÉ Muirchú|HMY ''Helga'']] and several other artillery pieces which were brought up to fire on the north of the street.{{sfn|Casey|2005|pp=213–214}}{{sfn|Townshend|2006|p=191}} The thoroughfare also saw sustained small arms and sniper fire from surrounding areas. By Saturday, the rebels had been forced to abandon the GPO, which was burning, and held out in Moore Street until they surrendered.{{sfn|Wills|2009|p=83}}

Much of the street was reduced to rubble, the damaged areas including the whole eastern side of the street as far north as Cathedral Street, and the terrace in between the GPO and Abbey Street on the western side.{{sfn|Casey|2005|pp=213–214}}{{sfn|Griffith|2014|p=198-199}} In addition, during the chaos that accompanied the rebellion, the inhabitants of the nearby slums looted many of the shops on O'Connell Street.{{sfn|Wills|2009|p=49}} The events had a disastrous impact on the commercial life of the inner city, causing around £2.5 million worth of damage. Some businesses were closed up to 1923 or never reopened.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=225}}

In the immediate aftermath of the Rising, the destruction of the street resulted in the majority of major claims to the [[Property Losses (Ireland) Committee]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Daithí|last=Ó Corráin|url=https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2018/1010/1002263-how-the-1916-rising-cost-200m-in-compensation-claims|title=How the 1916 Rising cost €200m in compensation claims|work=RTÉ Brainstorm|date=12 October 2018|accessdate=30 November 2022}}</ref> The [[Dublin Reconstruction (Emergency Provisions) Act 1916]] was drafted with the aim of controlling the nature of reconstruction in the local area. The aim was to rebuild in a coherent and dignified fashion, using the opportunity to modernise the nature of commercial activity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1916/aug/17/dublin-reconstruction-emergency|title=DUBLIN RECONSTRUCTION (EMERGENCY PROVISIONS) BILL|work=Hansard|date=17 August 1916|access-date=13 October 2020}}</ref> Under the act, the city was to approve all construction and reject anything that would not fit with the street's character. The reconstruction was supervised and by City Architect [[Horace Tennyson O'Rourke|Horace T. O'Rourke]].{{sfn|McManus|2002|pp=70,73}} With the exception of its Sackville Street façade and portico, the General Post Office was destroyed.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=110}} A new GPO was subsequently built behind the 1818 façade.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=110}} Work began in 1924, with the Henry Street side the first to be erected with new retail units at street level, a public shopping arcade linking through to Princes Street, and new offices on the upper floors. The Public Office underneath the portico on O'Connell Street reopened in 1929.{{sfn|Casey|2005|p=147-149}}

[[File:Clerys 12-10-2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|[[Clerys]] department store, ''(pictured in 2006)'' rebuilt in 1922|alt=View of department store building from the opposite side of the street]]
O'Connell Street saw another pitched battle in July 1922, [[Battle of Dublin|on the outbreak of the Irish Civil War]], when anti-treaty fighters under [[Oscar Traynor]] occupied the street after pro-treaty [[Irish National Army]] troops attacked the republican garrison in the nearby [[Four Courts]].{{sfn|Carey|2016|pp=20,24–25}} Fighting lasted from 28 June until 5 July, when the National Army troops brought artillery up to point-blank range, under the cover of [[Armoured car (military)|armoured cars]], to bombard the Republican-held buildings.{{sfn|Carey|2016|pp=17,28–29}} Among the casualties was [[Cathal Brugha]], shot at close range.{{sfn|Carey|2016|p=29}} The effects of the week's fighting were largely confined to the northern end of the street, with the vast majority of the terrace north of Cathedral Street to Parnell Square being destroyed, as well as a few buildings on the north-western side. In total, around three-quarters of the properties on the street were destroyed or demolished between 1916 and 1922.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=225}} As a result, only one Georgian townhouse remains on the street into the 21st century.{{sfn|Bennett|2005|p=224}}

Because of the extensive destruction and rebuilding, most of the buildings on O'Connell Street date from the early 20th century. The only remaining original building still standing is No.&nbsp;42, which has been owned by the [[Royal Dublin Hotel]]{{sfn|Bennett|2005|pp=224–225}} since 1972. This house was originally the home of the State physician and professor of anatomy at [[Trinity College Dublin|Trinity College]], Robert Robinson and later Daniel O'Connell's Catholic Commercial Club.<ref name="42 O'Connell">{{cite web |title=Catholic Commercial Club, 42 O'Connell Street Upper, Dublin, Dublin City |url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50010554/catholic-commercial-club-oconnell-street-upper-dublin-dublin-city |website=Buildings of Ireland |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref> The building dates from 1752 and was designed by [[Richard Cassels]]. There were plans to incorporate the house into the hotel to provide additional bars and function space in 1975 and 1978, but the work was never carried out. Permission was sought in 1982 to demolish the house, but this was refused.{{sfn|McDonald|1985|p=151}} Apart from the GPO building, other significant properties rebuilt after the hostilities include the department store [[Clerys]] which reopened in August 1922.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/ten-fascinating-facts-about-clerys-1.2247766|title=Ten fascinating facts about Clerys|newspaper=Irish Times|date=12 June 2015|access-date=3 October 2020}}</ref> and the Gresham Hotel which reopened in 1927.{{sfn|Carey|2016|p=64}}