The final stone was placed into the newly-restored Browne Clayton column at a ceremony at Carrickbyrne, Co Wexford, yesterday.
The topping-out ceremony included a few ancient traditions, such as an ear of corn affixed to the peak. Under Norse tradition, corn is a charm against lightning. "Lightning, of course, is what started it all," said Mr Noel Stacy, secretary of Wexford County Council. The Co Wexford monument was damaged when it was struck by lightning in 1994, causing a hole in the peak and the shaft.
The original column was erected in 1839 and is modelled on Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria.
The restoration began when the structure was dismantled stone by stone and was then rebuilt from both salvaged and new stones. Funded through various grants, the monument took two years to complete and cost almost €580,000.