# 120 meter spire in Dublin **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811 "2002-12-19T15:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/41 "2003-01-21T13:23:23Z")
Just back from watching the final section being put in place with **yojimbo**. There’s still a bit of bolting and crane detaching to be done but it’s basically all there. The overall effect is very impressive and it’ll be interesting to see it by night. If I can wax philosophical for a moment, the spire, the millennium dome and various other recent major pieces of public art offer a perspective on the fragmentation of modern society. There was a time when a shared set of beliefs could be identified and these could be represented through specific civil and religious works of public art. A historical figure, a battle or a religious scene could be struck upon and they would be seen as genuinely inclusive representations in a public space. Nowadays, all those items would appear divisive and public art has to be abstract and, in the search for inclusiveness, increasingly meaningless. Overall, despite the loss of meaning, I would welcome this trend which mirrors the breaking down of the old cosy certainties and challenges us to attempt to find new public ideals, which appeal to a more pluralist society. I would not suggest that the spire is the most effective piece of public art ever, and for the moment, it probably only works on the “wow - look at that yoke” level, but it’s probably indicative of the modern trend. To those who feel it’s a waste of money, can I ask whether that’s an objection to public art generally, when the money could be better spent on hospitals or schools or are your objections more specific and based on aesthetics? I have no problem with the latter (to each his/her own) but I do feel that the hospitals/schools argument, taken to the extreme, involves little or no public expenditure on sport or the arts, which IMO is not a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/42 "2003-01-21T13:29:06Z")
So you’re saying my plan for the Cromwell Memorial Garden might be a bit of a non-starter, then? ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/43 "2003-01-21T13:39:06Z")
Yeah, it will be right up there with a shrine to the Paras. ---
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/44 "2003-01-21T14:01:08Z")
Its finally up! Yay! Looks nice. Funk the begrudgers and all that. A Dublin in-joke: And when its finally finished you can say: ‘I can see Clery’s now the crane has gone’. 😃 Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/45 "2003-01-21T14:03:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by micilin \* > A Dublin in-joke: And when its finally finished you can say: ‘I can see Clery’s now the crane has gone’. 😃 > > Sorry. \*\* I must be hanging round with the wrong people, I never heard that before. Excellent!! (Actually, I think I frightened the entire office with the snort of laughter. Pardon me while I slink under my desk and chortle away) ---
**Author:** ![flairgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7c8e57/32.png) [@flairgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flairgun)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/46 "2003-01-21T15:22:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*So you’re saying my plan for the Cromwell Memorial Garden might be a bit of a non-starter, then? \*\* Actually, that’s not a bad idea, t’will give the Celtic fans somewhere to go for a piss on the Sunday nights of the latest Old Firm derby… ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/47 "2003-01-21T15:27:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, that’s not a bad idea, t’will give the Celtic fans somewhere to go for a piss on the Sunday nights of the latest Old Firm derby… Well, it is proving a bit of a walk over to the Conservative club. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrandfatherTrout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@GrandfatherTrout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandfatherTrout)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/48 "2003-01-21T15:49:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flairgun \* > \*\*Actually, that’s not a bad idea, t’will give the Celtic fans somewhere to go for a piss on the Sunday nights of the latest Old Firm derby… \*\* Hee hee. As I read this, the webcam window says “Preparing LIVE STREAM.” ::snort:: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/49 "2003-01-21T15:57:43Z")
Anyone who’s been to Amsterdam will be familiar with [pissoirs](http://www.texpistols.com/images/pissoir-1.gif). We could do with a few of them around town. Maybe a giant, 120-metre one in O’Connell St? _Fixed URL - ub_ ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/50 "2003-01-21T18:10:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*yojimbo - \*They say it’s the tallest sculpture/monument in the world. Is this true? I can’t think of any bigger? “They” didn’t do a lot of research. The Washington monument in Washington, D.C., USA is 555 feet (169 meters) tall. [http://www.tourofdc.org/monuments/washington-monument/](http://www.tourofdc.org/monuments/washington-monument/) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/51 "2003-01-21T18:15:03Z")
Thanks for fixing my error, **UB**. Anyway, “tallest sculpture”, not “monument” is what I have heard bandied about - don’t know if the Washington Monument counts as sculpture. That assertion is probably bull anyway. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/52 "2003-01-21T18:20:22Z")
Hmm, according to [these people](http://www.carbospars.com/freestanding.html), the Guinness Book of World Records says the tallest sculpture is at Canary Wharf in London, and is a mere 50m. Mind you, this isn’t actually on the [Guinness World Records](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/) site. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/53 "2003-01-21T19:44:41Z")
Oh god, they really went ahead with that thing? I remember reading about that a few years back with various discussions of the apropriatness of a huge needle in the middle of the city considering Dublins drug problems. I thought they had decided that the whole idea should be round-filed? So, go on then, what’s it like? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/54 "2003-01-21T20:21:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Iteki \* > \*\*Oh god, they really went ahead with that thing? > I remember reading about that a few years back with various discussions of the apropriatness of a huge needle in the middle of the city considering Dublins drug problems. I thought they had decided that the whole idea should be round-filed? > > So, go on then, what’s it like? \*\* Well, it is indeed a needle, and damn the irony. But I think it’s pretty cool. I drove past it this evening - they haven’t lit it up properly yet so we don’t get the full nighttime effect, but damn it’s high. It looks particularly impressive from Westmoreland St. looking across O’Connell Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/55 "2003-01-21T20:39:05Z")
So, when do you guys think some pillock’s gonna try and climb it? ---
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/56 "2003-01-21T22:01:24Z")
Well **Kal** , **Twistoffate** has given it a week before someone manages to throw a bicycle tire over the top. Bless him, he shows great faith in the gougers of Dublin. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/57 "2003-01-21T22:06:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kal \* > \*\*So, when do you guys think some pillock’s gonna try and climb it? \*\* When are you coming over next? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/58 "2003-01-21T22:07:27Z")
I love these threads. I get to see all of you lot in one place. :just noticing the sheets of rain falling down from the heavens and planning my next sunny holiday: ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/59 "2003-01-21T22:12:28Z")
I reckon you could have a week long tyre throwing festival every year. Strongmen from around the world pitting their strength against the tyre-over-lamp post experience of thousands of teenaged Dubliners. I’d watch it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811/60 "2003-01-21T22:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anahita \* > \*\*:just noticing the sheets of rain falling down from the heavens and planning my next sunny holiday: \*\* So, have all those romantic notions of Ireland been dampened? 😃 Spring and Summer are coming though, so buy a new umbrella. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-meter-spire-in-dublin/143811.md?page=4)