Should/Shouldn't ESB Demolish Poolbeg Chimneys?

Amalgam

I once sat at Sandymount just in time to catch the largest, lowest, slowest, most sinister, buttery brown, full moon pass behind them.

I don't know what's worse, a drab power station with some interesting vegetation and bird life on its wasteland, or more.. ****hole, shoebox flats.

I'll miss them.

RATM

No

They are easily Irelands (and therefore Dublins) most ugly eyesore. I can never fathom how people in Sandymount pay a few million quid for a house just to have a view of that crap. The same cash will get you a view of the Golden Gate bridge in San Fran or Sydney Habour bridge which are far easier on the eye IMO.
Im betting very few people here have stood beside them but I had the misfortune to do so once and I can testify that they are even uglier up close.

There are quite a few utilitarian buildings around the world that are worth saving, Battersea Power Station in London comes to mind. But the ESB chimmneys ain't one of them.
Knock 'em I say and then bury them in Glasnevin cemetary if thats what Dubliners want.

rossie1977

the eiffel tower was hated by the people of paris for decades

just because there are lots of something doesn't mean something isn't a icon, lisbon has a copy of the golden gate here is the same bridge in silver outside edinburgh the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in kobe japan dwarfs the golden gate 4000ft longer and the towers are 250ft taller

gurramok

There should be a referendum on this for the Dubs!

Most of us Dubs remember growiing up with the chimneys from whatever part as you can see them for miles around.

And yeh, its the first thing you see on the plane arriving into Dublin, it reminds you that you are back home so save 'em!!

Dardania

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Is that not a fairly recent and advanced plant as far as power plants go?

I remember hearing it can run on eother gas or oil and has one of the fastest change overs in Europe. WTF are they demolishing it already?

They're planning the Dublin District Heating scheme, and Poolbeg is one of the sites. Have a look at: http://www.dublinwaste.ie/District_Heating_Feasibility_Study.html

I think there's some waste to energy planned out there, but as far as I know they were also going to have a backup gas turbine genset to keep heat/power coming...

Maybe the chimneys are surplus to requirement - they look more like the kind of thing you need after generating waste heat - nowadays we recycle that waste heat from the first pass of a turbine in a smaller turbine - more efficient.

The engineer in me says get rid as there's no point wasting space in a site for non-essential structures that need to be maintained, but the Dub in me says keep them - they're a part of the landscape now

stovelid

Of course not.

I love the way, when in Dublin (whether in the city or in the hills), you suddenly catch sight of them.

We could remove them from Poolbeg and do a country-wide tour. Leave them in towns like Galway, Limerick and Cork for a few months a year.

finishedart

Jim236 wrote: »

Fair enough its no Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building, but its an iconic structure for Dubliners. Its the first thing you see when you fly into Dublin Airport, and the last thing you see when you leave Dublin Port, its been featured in music videos for U2 and The Script. I actually can't imagine walking down the quays or around Dublin Bay without seeing the chimneys, its just part of the Dublin landscape and should be saved IMO.

I agree. They are a part of the Dublin skyline and should be retained for historic sakes. Save the Towers.

Long Onion

For peat's sake, leave them up, they're smokin'.

Biggins

No

Whosbetter? wrote: »

Pity Fred Dibnah isn't around anymore......

LOL Showing your age there. A few younger ones will be going "Fred who?"
(For the record, I'd be considered an old fogie too LOL)

Jim236 wrote: »

Fair enough its no Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building, but its an iconic structure for Dubliners. Its the first thing you see when you fly into Dublin Airport, and the last thing you see when you leave Dublin Port, its been featured in music videos for U2 and The Script. I actually can't imagine walking down the quays or around Dublin Bay without seeing the chimneys, its just part of the Dublin landscape and should be saved IMO.

Aye, the first thing you see when flying in is something like two fingers sticking up at you and and two more fingers sticking up at you when you leave.
Yep, thats Dublin landmark? LOL

Kintarō Hattori

Overheal wrote: »

http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/oct2006/poolbeg.jpg


.............

You Irish have no ****ing clue what landmarks are, do you?

I mean, the **** is this?

This is a landmark.


This is a landmark.


This is even a landmark.


This is a landmark.


THIS is a pair of ****ing chimneys. You have two just like them in Shannon. And about a billion of the ****ing things scattered around the world. I could go driving tonight and snap pictures of at least a dozen.

Next thing someone is going to come on here and argue that The Magpie in Clarecastle is holy ground.

How many of those you listed are American in origin? Oooh that's right the SoL was given to you by the french. Listen pal come back here when you have something of your own to waffle about! :pac:

Run_to_da_hills

galwayrush wrote: »

I'm sure Zoe developments could do something with them.:rolleyes:

They would look well at Hugh O Regan's former retreat in Kiltiernan.

Blazer

No

Blow them up...only chimneys for god's sake.

I think the ESB should err on the side of caution and maybe use a few tons of explosive.
Just to make sure that Dublin.....sry, I mean the chimneys are fully demolished

dacogawa

I'm near them & love them. they should stay

We dont want this to happen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_ph0eME58

Quint

I'd love to go up one and see the view. Wonder if they could stick a lift in one and charge people to go up it? Would be a great tourist attraction

Long Onion

Quint wrote: »

I'd love to go up one and see the view. Wonder if they could stick a lift in one and charge people to go up it? Would be a great tourist attraction

Excellent idea, they can build the tunnel of goats next to it.

Cookie_Monster

Long Onion wrote: »

they can build the tunnel of goats next to it.

Cool

Could also turn the sewage plant into a swimming pool, what an attraction the area would become

ejmaztec

Paint them pink and put a giant Durex on each of them to represent the knobs running the country.

thebiglad

It's a tough one, up close they are nasty but when seen on arrival into Dublin by air or sea they are definitely a landmark.

I would keep them but then I don't live anywhere near them and perhaps this is where the divide is?

Red Alert

I think they're iconic and they should stay, but I tend to be fascinated by industrial heritage anyway. Look at all the beautiful old water mills preserved and old buildings that have found uses like for markets. There'll be no real-world heritage left from the latter 20th century.

And they're more 'in touch' with dublin than that oversized tweezer in O'Connell street.

smemon

No

knock them down and build a giant red and white striped wind turbine in their place....

Cathaoirleach

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP IN SUPPORT!:pac:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115779727172&ref=nf

tanora78

This post has been deleted.

Sonnenblumen

How about converting them into something useful, eg, Lala Land Bungee Jump? At least tourists will have the added thrill of being able to leave:D
Otherwise demolish these otherwise drab examples of a dreary past.

Ciaran500

No

andyrew120 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Every building is a symbol of our past.

Magenta

Overheal wrote: »

http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/oct2006/poolbeg.jpg


.............

You Irish have no ****ing clue what landmarks are, do you?

I mean, the **** is this?

This is a landmark.


This is a landmark.


This is even a landmark.


This is a landmark.


THIS is a pair of ****ing chimneys. You have two just like them in Shannon. And about a billion of the ****ing things scattered around the world. I could go driving tonight and snap pictures of at least a dozen.

Next thing someone is going to come on here and argue that The Magpie in Clarecastle is holy ground.

Sorry, I can't hear you over my free healthcare. What were you saying?

robbie_998

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

A couple of chimneys isn't a bloody landmark.

But i can see them from my house in clondalkin

Absurdum

No

Magenta wrote: »

Sorry, I can't hear you over my free healthcare. What were you saying?

your free healthcare made you go deaf lol

schween

Magenta wrote: »

Sorry, I can't hear you over my free healthcare. What were you saying?

Free healthcare? How do I get this?? Ah, he must be on about the NHS.

I'm don't know what to think about the chimneys. On an international scale they wouldn't be considered a major landmark. Comparing it to the Statue of Liberty and the likes though is pointless. Besides, this is the definition of landmark by Oxford:

landmark
• noun 1 an object or feature of a landscape or town that is easily seen and recognized from a distance. 2 an event, discovery, or change marking an important stage or turning point.

According to Oxford, they are landmarks. Then again, with that definition so is my neighbours awful yellow house.

Magenta

Absurdum wrote: »

your free healthcare made you go deaf lol

Mary Harney sat on me haha.

schween wrote: »

Free healthcare? How do I get this?? Ah, he must be on about the NHS.

I'm female, thank you.

sponsoredwalk

AnonoBoy wrote: »

They're our Twin Towers dudes. C'mon. Don't let 9/11 happen for the second time.

That'd be 911 x 2 which would be 1,822. That's not gonna trip off the tongue as easy as nine eleven.

One thousand, eight hundred and twenty two. Or eighteen twenty two, or One Eight hundred, Twenty Two. or One Eight Two Two.

However you say it it still sounds forced. It'll never work.

Save the Poolbeg Two!

One Eight Two Two We Don't Want You

One Eight Two Two We Don't Want You

One Eight Two Two We Don't Want You

One Eight Two Two We Don't Want You

:mad: