Irish America called upon to support push for Patrick Pearse statute at Dublin's GPO

Irish America is being called upon to support the campaign to erect a statue dedicated to Easter Rising leader Patrick Pearse outside the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin.

The campaign is being spearheaded by The Patrick Pearse Commemorative Association, which is working to raise the funds to erect a statue of the Easter Rising leader outside the GPO on Dublin's O'Connell Street.

It was there that Pearse read out the Proclamation of Independence and where he and the other leaders of the 1916 Rising fought and ultimately gave their lives for the cause of an Irish Republic.

The Association notes that in addition to the revolution for which he gave his life, Pearse was also a fervent education reformer and a devoted Irish language activist.

"But despite his status as a father of the nation, Pearse has gone overlooked in recent years, as Dublin city centre contains no statues of him," the Association says, "and for many Irish people today, he is slipping past memory to oblivion.

"We hope to bring him back into the public eye, for without him, we would not have the republican tradition of freedom and democracy which we enjoy today."

Phil Boyle, an Irish American based in Connecticut who has an interesting tie to Pearse, recently raised the campaign with IrishCentral via the following letter:

"When Patrick Pearse stepped out of the General Post Office in Dublin and read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic on Easter Monday, 1916, he signed his own death warrant. His action was deliberate, bold, and unforgettable — the public declaration of a new Irish Republic in defiance of empire.

"It has now been 109 years since Pearse was executed by firing squad for his role in the Rising. And yet, there is still no statue of him on O’Connell Street — no permanent tribute at the very place where he gave voice to Ireland’s dream of independence.

"While many heroes of 1916 deserve recognition, Pearse’s role was singular. He wasn’t just a commander — he was the voice of the Republic. His reading of the Proclamation was as symbolic and daring as John Hancock’s signature on the American Declaration of Independence. Pearse’s words echoed the same ideals: liberty, dignity, and the right of a people to determine their own destiny.

"As Americans of Irish descent, we understand the power of such symbols. We know that freedom is never handed down — it’s fought for, spoken into existence, and remembered in stone and story. That’s why I believe Irish America has a vital role to play in supporting the campaign to place a statue of Patrick Pearse at the GPO.

"The Patrick Pearse Commemorative Association has launched a fund to support this effort.

"I encourage fellow Irish Americans to contribute to this important project and help ensure that future generations can stand where Pearse stood — and remember what he stood for."

The GoFundMe for the Patrick Pearse statue was officially launched by the Patrick Pearse Commemorative Association on April 27 at the Pearse Centre in Dublin.

Dublin's General Post Office (GPO) on O'Connell Street. (Getty Images)

As it happens, Boyle, who has roots in Co Cork, Co Donegal, and Co Fermanagh, has a distant but fascinating link to Pearse.

"Patrick Pearse was friends with my family in Donegal, and he recruited my Granduncle to attend his school in Dublin," Boyle told IrishCentral. "My Granduncle Eamon O’Boyle joined Pearse Volunteers.

"But the week before the Uprising, my Granduncle got sick, and Pearse sent him on a mission out of Dublin, basically saving his life."