Sir, – The chimneys are unsightly not primarily due to their shabby paintwork but simply due to what they are: redundant, industrial waste-pipes. Helped by their appropriation by graphic printmakers and tea-towel sellers, they have accidently become a questionable symbol of the capital. Objectively, they appear as nothing more than pollution producers. Fanciful suggestions for elevators and observation decks disregard structural and wind-loading factors. The ESB probably rued the day in 2014 they became protected structures as their continuing maintenance is undoubtedly an expensive inconvenience. As for a tourist attraction, everyone enjoys the spectacle of a dramatic demolition. – Yours, etc,
SHANE O’TOOLE,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.