SPIRE OF DUBLIN: the story behind O’Connell Street’s ICONIC landmark (2024)

Ever wondered why Dublin built a big spire in the heart of the city? Here we break down the story behind the iconic monument.

If you’ve ever been to the city of Dublin, you’ve no doubt seen it: a towering, stainless steel, pointy monument standing 120 metres tall on O’Connell Street. It’s hard to miss.

What you may not know, though, is the story behind it. Here we unpack the history of the Spire of Dublin, from why it was built to what it means, so that the next time you walk by the monument, you can truly appreciate its significance.

The Nelson Pillar

The bombing of the Nelson Pillar in Dublin in 1966 left a gaping hole in O’Connell Street in the heart of Dublin City Centre. The imperial monument had overseen the affairs of Dublin’s main street since 1809 and suddenly was in need of a replacement.

However, despite thedestruction, it was not until 22 January 2003, another 37 years later, that thehole left by the bombing was finally filled.

The foundation stone of theNelson Pillar was laid by the Duke of Redmond, Lord Lieutenant, on the 22February 1808 and cost £6,856 to build. The Pillar was designed by an Irishsculptor named Thomas Kirk, and was blown to rubble in March 1966 in a powerfulexplosion.

Early proposals

The Pillar needed replacing, and early proposals in the 1970s argued for the erection of a monument of Irish revolutionary and Easter Rising leader Padraig Pearse to coincide with his 100th birthday.

The proposed monument wouldhave been worth £150,000 and would have stood higher than the neighbouring GPO,where Pearse had fought in 1916, but the plan fell through.

However, by 1988, Dublin’smillennium year, proposals for a replacement had accelerated and led to theestablishment of “The Pillar Project.”

The Pillar Project

The Pillar Project was ascheme that brought artists and architects together to devise a monument thatcould replace Nelson’s Pillar.

Ambitious proposals includeda “Millenium Arch,” similar to that of the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris,with an eternal flame at the top to symbolise the city’s indistinguishablespirit.

Other proposals in the early 1990s included restructuring the pillar with James Joyce at the top of it, who was thought to be a non-political, non-military, and non-divisive figure.

However, much like the plansa decade before, the Pillar Project and other plans were fruitless and it wasback to the drawing board for O’Connell Street.

International competition

An international competitionwas launched in 1998, and potential contestants were told: “The monument shallhave a vertical emphasis, an elegant structure of 21st century contemporarydesign, which shall relate to the quality and scale of O’Connell Street asrepresented by the late 18th and early 20th century architecture.”

205 entrants answeredO’Connell Street’s call, and the shortlist was eventually narrowed down tothree; two British-based firms and the other a Dublin-based firm.

Ian Ritchie Architects

The winner of the competitionwas Ian Ritchie Architects, a London-based firm, and it was they who devisedthe creation of what is now the domineering Spire of Dublin.

The Spire was put up in six different sections, and was originally expected to be done by 2000. Due to difficulty securing planning permission and a High Court case, the first structure was only built on 18 December 2002 and was completed by January 2003.

Thousands gathered inO’Connell Street on a cold January day to witness the erection of the lastsection of the Spire, which has since become emblematic of this historic city.

The Spire of Dublin

The Spire of Dublin, which reached a total cost of 4 million euros, stands at an incredible 120 metres (400 feet) high, without doubt the tallest structure in Dublin city centre, with a 3-metre-wide base acting as the Spire’s foundation.

The head of the Spire is 15centimetres wide and is lit by a small amount of LEDs and moves slightly whenthe wind blows. It is alternatively named An Túr Solais (The Monument ofLight).

Despite what was originallybelieved, the Spire is not self-cleaning and has to be cleaned every eighteenmonths. The first clean cost around 120,000 euros.

The magic of the Spire isengrained in its design. During daylight, the life of the city can be seen onthe stainless steel surface of the Spire as it passes by, while the dawning ofdusk is reflected on the steel as day passes into night.

The stationary buildings thatflank the Spire are also visible throughout the day, while its illuminatedstructure lights up the city at night.

Meaning of the Spire

Pointing like a needle towards the sky above, the Spire of Dublin is a landmark that has truly pierced the hearts and minds of the city and country’s inhabitants, and it is the first thing that you notice as you make your way into Dublin city centre.

The beauty of the Spire isthat it commemorates nothing but toasts Dublin’s bustling present and pointsforward towards a limitless, brighter, and more prosperous future.