| STREETS OF DUBLIN BY WILLIAM JOHN MURPHY | |||||
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Reason for itThe monument itself was commissioned as part of a redesigned street layout in 1999. O'Connell Street (The widest and most famous street in Ireland; formerly Sackville Street) was perceived to have gone into decline from the 1970s. Some people blamed the appearance of fast food restaurants and the opening of bargain basement shops, all using cheap plastic, visually unattractive and obtrusive shop fronts, the existence of a number of derelict sites, and the unilateral decision of the IRA to blow up Nelson Pillar, as reasons for the decline in a once famous and attractive street. 
Nelson Pillar was the previous
occupant of the site of the Spire until it was destroyed
by a bomb in 1966.
In the 1990s, plans were launched to improve the streetscape. The excessive number of trees in the central reservation, which had overgrown and obscured the street's views and monuments, was reduced dramatically. Statues were cleaned and in some cases relocated. Shop-owners were required to replace plastic signage and frontage with more visually attractive designs. Private car traffic was re-directed where possible away from the street, with its number of traffic lanes reduced, to allow more 'public ownership' of the street for pedestrians. The centrepiece of this regeneration was to be a replacement monument for Nelson Pillar, the Spire of Dublin, chosen by a committee under the then chairmanship of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Joe Doyle from a large number of submissions. The choice of the monument proved controversial. Its cost at 4,000,000 Euro (or well over IR£3,000,000 in contemporary currency before the appearance of the Euro) was criticised, as was its design. Various nicknames were attached to it even prior to its erection (most famously, the "Stiletto in the Ghetto," the "Erection at the Intersection," and the "Stiffy by the Liffey"). One critic sought judicial review of the choice. However on its erection in January 2003, much of the criticism subsided. Two remained: its cost and the fact that it could not be used as a viewing platform, unlike its predecessor, Nelson Pillar, which provided spectacular views of Dublin.
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Further changes in the street, including the creation of a new plaza in front of the
General Post Office (GPO) new tree plantings, and the erection of buildings on the street's two derelict sites, are planned for 2005. The middle of the street in the past year has been done up, with new trees and ground. The object is to make the street more pedestrian-friendly and less congested.
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Public opinionAlthough the spire was met with initial opposition, many Dubliners seemed to come round to the idea of 'The Spire Of Dublin' during the monument's completion. The completion of the spire was cheered on by a small crowd of Dubliners who braved the cold to watch its erection and the RTÉ radio presenter Lillian Smith celebrated by broadcasting Neil Young's song, The Needle and the Damage Done. Some people around the world also watched live on webcam, a world first. Opinions still remain divided as to the nature of the monument itself. Most seem to have come around to accepting the monument, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. While some have praised it as potentially Ireland's Eiffel Tower, others continue to dismiss it as out of scale and character with the city, or slated it as being like a mobile phone mast in the centre of O'Connell St. Whether they like it or not, all sides agree that it is likely to dominate Dublin's skies for decades if not centuries to come, in the same manner as Nelson Pillar. History will see whether it will remain as controversial. The logo of Engineers Ireland (The Institution of Engineers of Ireland), introduced in 2005, may be inspired by the monument. Press releases say that the logo is a modified phi letter, but the central feature does bear a resemblance to the monument. Other nicknames
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