The original General Post Office was completed in 1817 and is the last of the great Georgian buildings erected in Dublin. The main building structure is in granite while the fine portico is constructed of Portland stone.
Waterman Moylan was commissioned to provide conservation and restoration engineering services for the entire front façade of the building including the portico.
The façade of the building had suffered significant deterioration due to a combination of environmental conditions and due to the corrosion and expansion of ferrous clamps and ties used in the original construction. The expansion caused extensive cracking and spalling of the stonework particularly at the higher levels of the façade. The Portland stone flat arch at the side of the portico was badly affected and major structural repair and restoration works had to be undertaken in this area.
Conservation measures adopted included the complete reconstruction of the front façade above the level of the second-floor windows, the replacement of the clamps and ties using stainless steel, the dismantling and reconstruction of the lower level of the flat arch at the side of the portico, the careful removal of the original statues over the portico and their replacement with exact replica statues using a special process developed in conjunction with a Dutch company.
Client: An Post (Irish Post Service)
Architect: Austin Dunphy & Partners
