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A look back at Dublin's relationship with the Spire over the last 15 years
People gathered to watch the completion of the Spire in 2003. PA Archive / PA Images PA Archive / PA Images / PA Images
THIS YEAR MARKED the fifteenth birthday of Dublin’s Spire.
Completed on the 21st of January 2003, the 120 metre tall structure has seen a lot. It has gone through several light bulbs over the last fifteen years. Originally, we were promised that the monument was self-cleaning, but in 2007 we learned that was untrue.
That year, the Spire was hosed down at the cost of €120,000 for the first time, and has since been cleaned every eighteen months.
There’s no denying that Irish people have strongly resented the Spire for the last fifteen years.
Tourists consistently describe it as ‘average‘ on Trip Advisor.
Trip Advisor Trip Advisor
Trip Advisor Trip Advisor
Did we really waste €4 million to get 3 out of 5 on Trip advisor?
RTÉ RTÉ
In 2013, we got to see what the view from the top of the Spire was like.
Paul O'Connell Photography Paul O'Connell Photography
It makes O’Connell street look like one of those mats kids roll toy cars around on.
Pinterest Pinterest
In the same year, Nelson Mandela died and for the first time people were considering renaming the Spire.
Because of the nearby anti-apartheid protests by Dunnes Stores workers that began in 1984 and were applauded by Mandela, people wanted to rename the Spire in honour of the South African revolutionary.
Rubber Bandits / Twitter Rubber Bandits / Twitter / Twitter
We can’t risk having this one blown up by a supermarket. Once was enough.
If we were to update the Spire for its fifteenth birthday, there’s only one way we could do it.
In true 2018 fashion.
Comrade Hilton Comrade Hilton
The Spire also had people just a tad worried during Hurricane Ophelia.
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All of our resentment aside, Ireland has the opportunity to get our money’s worth on the Spire each time a Star Wars movie comes out.
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15 years Dublin spire