A chara, – Letter writers from Ballina to Ballinasloe have weighed in recently to tell us what a waste of money it is to maintain a couple of old ESB chimneys (March 11th, 12th).
That’s not surprising. I took my South African fiancée to visit them recently, before walking along the Great South Wall to the lighthouse.
It’s fair to say that she was underwhelmed.
However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and a great many Dubs see a rustic beauty in the Poolbeg stacks, which reflects the character of a Dublin that still exists, even amid the flux of new office developments and commercial rebranding.
As attested to by their representation in myriad works of art and photography, including the print on my living-room wall, the chimneys possess an extremely potent emotional and cultural resonance with our capital city.
Emotional resonance does not come easy, as the Spire on O’Connell Street will attest; 18 years after its completion, it largely serves as a meeting point for tourists, with no significant cultural connotations for Dubs themselves.
Some of the proposals for the Poolbeg site risk supplanting the hard-won cultural energy of the stacks with the same utilitarian contrivance of the Spire.
What is true is that the chimneys exist in a kind of limbo at the moment, caught between the ESB's commercial imperatives and the cultural concerns of residents and local councillors ("Poolbeg chimneys may have to be encased in fibreglass, says council", News, March 9th).
The State should step in and put the matter to rest, taking them into direct control under the auspices of the OPW. Then we can speak confidently about how to preserve and enhance them for future generations of returning travellers to admire as their flight passes over Dublin Bay. – Is mise,
DAVE McGINN,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Clearly the dilemma of what to do with the Poolbeg chimneys requires some creative thinking.
It seems to me that public opinion is evenly divided between conservation and demolition.
Perhaps the best compromise would be to conserve one and demolish the other! Everyone wins and everyone looses! – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN MURPHY,
Sandymount,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – In the early 1970s, myself and colleagues from the 11th Motor Squadron FCA based in McKee Barracks mounted regular guarded patrols to protect among other installations , Dublin Airport, the Poolbeg chimneys and the ESB installation in Carrickmines.
People seem to forget the times we lived in then! – Yours, etc,
CON O’NEILL,
Carlow.
Sir, – These chimneys are, and have always been, an eyesore. They should be removed as quickly and as economically as possible.
People entering or leaving Dublin Bay will remember the vistas of Bray and Howth Heads and, dare I say it, the Baily. – Yours, etc,
EDMOND
BAILY,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – The existence of the Poolbeg chimneys in the Dublin skyline represents a very small period of time in city’s history. They were a necessity when constructed but have been surplus to requirements since decommissioning in 2010.
While they are undoubtedly a landmark, to argue that the city’s culture and architectural heritage would be significantly impoverished by their removal would be to stretch credibility, and I suspect were a proposal to be made today to erect such structures, it would be met with public outcry.
Unlike the Eiffel Tower, which I understand generates annual revenues approaching €100 million, the Poolbeg towers are an expense to the ESB, which will likely increase with the passage of time.
Let them be demolished now and an end put to the revolving discussions as to what to do with them. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN O’REILLY,
Sutton,
Dublin 13.
A chara, – Looking forward to the day when I can’t see the Poolbeg chimneys from the letters page. – Is mise,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.