Spire of Dublin - Neatorama

The Spire of Dublin aka the Monument of Lights is a 120 meter (393 ft.) needle-like structure located at the former site of Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, a monument that was destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1966.

Slate has a mini slideshow about the spire, including an old photograph of Nelson's Pillar and pictures of the spire being constructed and erected. Here's the link at Slate.com. [The picture on this post came from Flickr user informatique and is shared under Creative Commons.]

I'd hate to be there during an earthquake.

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In the text that goes along with the slideshow, they talked about internal "dampeners" that prevent it from swaying.

I don't think Dublin is in much risk of experiencing a powerful earthquake, however.

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phallic.

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Oooh thats exactly what we need to pop the giant sky banana. Too bad its in Dublin.

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I was in dublin for a wedding a few months back, everyone thinks it was the biggest waste of 5 million euros the irish government could come up with. a giant metallic stick in the middle of the oldest part of the town. it doesn't fit in with the surrounding buildings whatsoever!

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I love it.

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120 million euros of wasted taxpayers money actually. I can see it from my appartment. What a meaningless lump. 5 years late and over budget. And they nearly destroyed half of O'Connell street because high wind meant the upper pieces were swinging wildly when they were mounted.

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appartment? apartment.

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The Stiffy on the Liffey!

It's even uglier in person.

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I live in England and hadn't even heard of it!

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Isn't it the tallest free-standing monument in Europe? Anyway it was a HUGE waste of money, it is however, mildly amusing to watch tourists leaning back to look at the the top and bumping into people.

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Vlad the Impaler would so love this!

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also known The Bertie Pole (after PM Bertie Ahern), or the Stump in the Dump. It doesn't even do anything, it just sits there...

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Obviously, a monument to Nelson isn't a good choice anymore, but why not a monument to a hero of the Irish Republic? de Valera? Collins? Are those just "too political"? What exactly does THIS monument commemorate?

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Needles and other pointy things in life, Sid Morrison.

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Christ whate a waste of 5 million euro. Incidentally, the plural of Euro is Euro, in the same way as the plural of lego is lego and sheep is sheep. There's something similar in Belfast: http://www.belfastcathedral.org/news/photo-gallery/gallery/36/the-spire-of-hope-the-concept

Though perhaps that's just because they couldn't afford a proper spire that might actually match either the building or surrounding. Instead we've got a giant cocktail stick.

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