The Spire, Dublin

Imagine a 390ft needle, you can see it from far, far away, it's more or less highlighted at night and it's artistic quality is questionable... you just found The Spire!

It's tall, ugly, it cost a fortune, it's modern art.

Yummy!

Ah, the Stiffy at the Liffey. It may not be a fitting addition to all the statues on O'Connell St., and even seems a bit out of place in front of an iconic building like the GPO, but let me tell you one thing: without it, hundreds of thousands of backpackers would get lost in Dublin every year. It's the one unmissable structure when you fall out of the Airlink and need to meet someone.

A little known fact about the Spire is that it's actually the world's tallest Sculpture! This Dublin landmark is not appreciated by the people as much as anticipated when Ian Richie Architects proposed the design. The cost for production was excessive, especially when it could have been put to much better use. However, this figure is slowly becoming a popular feature to Ireland's capital city! And it does add the missing character to O'Connell street (at least since Nelson's Pillar has been gone).

the spire, i have to say i hate everything about it! the style (or lack of) the cost of the blooming thing but mostly the fact that it just stands there, useless…if it did something like, bring people up to the top of it to view dublin so it could pay for its-self, but as it is, its just a waste of money!

The Dublin Spire was winning entry in a competition which was to replace Nelsons Pillar, whcih was blown up in the year 1966.

The Dublin Spire is one hundred and twenty metres high and that makes it the tallest structure to be made so far in Dublin, and its also three metres wide.

The spire was Designed by Ian Ritchie. During the day the Spire stays as a steel look, and by night the illuminated tip is lit to beacon in the night accross Dublin City

The Spire is the icon of o’connoll street, and a major tourist attraction in Dublin. Though it serves no useful purpose, and has little substantial history attached to it, i think it outweighs many of the other dodgy statues nearby in terms of its impressiveness. It makes a terrible meeting place, aside from the fact that everyone knows where it is, as it offers no wind /rain coverage and standing at the base makes you a target for tourist queries on its history, directions and mistaken identities. The Spire’s best point I feel is its undeniable uniqueness, as no other city in europe has a monument quite like it.

As phallic monuments go, this one fails on all accounts. Direly out of place (comments from out-of-towners all seem to suggest it is either a temporary construction aid, or a horrible mistake that will surely be demolished in the coming year) on the geometrically exact O Connell Street, its only virtue is that it usually blends in with the Irish grey skies. Its not lit up at night. Except for the large glowing light at the top. Impotent.

If you in O’Connell Street you will see it - so what - if you don’t see it - just think of a giant needle. Nothing special in my view.

The Spire is also known as The Spike, The Needle, The Stiletto in the Ghetto, The Nail in the Pale, The Stiffy at the Liffey, The Pin in the Bin and The Erection in the Intersection…. I love the Irish sense of humor, the rhyming slang for all their major monuments.
I was living in Dublin when The Spire was completed, and although it was great to have O’Connell Street back from the construction littered mess that proceeded it’s completion many of the Irish people were disappointed in this tribute to the new Millennium. However there is something about standing at it’s base and looking so far into the sky above.

The Spire was part of the government’s move to clean up O’Connell street and this was built in 1999. It is a very modern addition to a city that has embraced both the old and the new. The Spire is visible from many different parts of the city. I like The Spire for it’s Irish name, An Tur Solais (Monument of Light), and for its very unique look.

The Spire was built 2002 and has a controversial look to it , The Spire i think is one of Dublin’s best-known landmarks and is the tallest in Dublin. The stainless steel sculpture measures at 120 metres where the tip flexes in the wind. By day its silver looking and by night the illuminated tip casts a soft light above it. The Spire was designed by a Architects named Ian Ritchie, who won a competition set to replace Nelson’s Pillar, which was blown up in 1966.