Cork General Post Office

The General Post Office is a handsome, finely-cut, silvery limestone facade rounding into Pembroke Street. It was on this side that two of
Cork's famous theatres stood. The first goes back to the late 1750's when Spranger Barry came to Cork from the "Crow Street Company", Dublin,
to establish a playhouse as part of an enterprise to secure the control of the Irish theatres. It was opened on Monday July 1st, 1760, under the
auspices of the Theatre Royal and the curtains rose to the tragedy play "The Orphans".

The erection of the theatre was made possible by the assistance of 40 subscribers each contributing £50, then receiving in return a solid silver
transferable ticket bearing 4% interest and admission for an indefinite period. The theatre was modelled after the "Crow Street Theatre" and also
resembled it in dimensions being 136ft in length and 60ft in width. For eighty years the citizens of Cork revelled in their enjoyment of the theatre
until the building, wardrobes etc. were destroyed by fire after a performance on April 1st, 1840.

The second theatre was built in 1863 retaining the old name of "The Theatre Royal". During the mid '60's it was much improved extending its accommodation
to seat 2,000 patrons. Mr. R.C. Burke was the builder and leasee. The theatre was remodelled from the designs under the direction of Sir John Benson - the
Cork based architect. The refurbished and enlarged Theatre Royal reopened on December 26th, 1867. The outstanding attractions to grace the satge during the
early years of the 1870's were appearances of the famous actor Barry Sullivan, the English Opera and the Opera Bouffe.

The theatre flourished until 1875 when it was sold to the postal authority. After much alteration it opened two years later as
Cork General Post Office replacing a much smaller one on Pembroke Street.