The "Spike" Poll

PH01 · 22-01-2003 8:52am #1

Spire of Dublin, do you like it?

Dr. Loon · 22-01-2003 8:59am

Haven't actually seen it in it's entirety, as I haven't been on O' Connell Street in a few days, but it looks good. I also wish all the moany bástards would shut up about the thing.

the Guru · 22-01-2003 9:05am

I do like the Spike But I will reserve my judgement for when Oconnell st is Finished I can see them making a balls of the Places
where are they going to move all the skum too !!!

If any one works on Oconnell st they will know what Im taking about will they just move all the crap to a different area and make that twice as bad.

Bard · 22-01-2003 9:26am

Went home through town yesterday to have a look at it and grab a bite to eat.

Was very impressed. It's a very nice pointy thingy

.

DiscoStu · 22-01-2003 9:30am

have seen it but will make a "point" of going for a look today

hedgetrimmer · 22-01-2003 9:51am

I have to say I am singlulary unimpressed.

What I think would be good - both to focus on it and to regain revenue, would be if the govt opened a tourist information, etc booth at the bottom of it. That way, dubliners could point tourists quickly to a tourist office, and it could act as a central point for tours, etc

Lucutus · 22-01-2003 10:20am

...it looks crooked to me...

Bard · 22-01-2003 10:34am

Originally posted by Lucutus
...it looks crooked to me...

well it's meant to reflect the attitudes and the culture of the people of Dublin ...

Dr. Loon · 22-01-2003 10:49am

Originally posted by Lucutus
...it looks crooked to me...

Actually.... when I saw it, they only had the first two pieces up, and I was wondering if it was crooked also!! I assumed they'd correct that by the time it's finished.

Panda · 22-01-2003 10:51am

Originally posted by Bard
well it's meant to reflect the attitudes and the culture of the people of Dublin ...

baddum *tishhhh*

Kolodny · 22-01-2003 1:30pm

I will try to avoid the 'what's the point?' lines as I haven't seen it yet.

boogie man · 22-01-2003 1:35pm

I like it. The tallest free standing pointy thing in the world. That's pretty impressive.

elexes · 22-01-2003 1:47pm

but why do we need it ?

Gordon · 22-01-2003 1:48pm

I think it looks cool but I wish they would have polished the thing before they put it up, it's a bit grubby. Needless to say though, I'm sure it will inspire some thought provoking conversation.

boogie man · 22-01-2003 1:55pm

Why do the french need the Eiffel Tower, the Catalans the Sagrada de Famillia, the Americans the Twin Towers (oops!), etc. Not that I'm comparing the above to our spike but I think it's good to be creative. Just my 2 cents.

Boog.

po0k · 22-01-2003 1:59pm

*cough*

MarkTheSpark · 22-01-2003 2:08pm

The spike represents the Pin bursting the Celtic Tiger Bubble.

boogie man · 22-01-2003 2:18pm

Sorry. I hang my head in shame as we speak.:o

Saruman · 22-01-2003 4:31pm

Originally posted by boogie man
I like it. The tallest free standing pointy thing in the world. That's pretty impressive.

Its probably the only free standing pointy thing in the world too!! Some people have reffered to it as the tallest structure in the world.. i doubt it comes close to the Eiffel Tower and certainly not as high as the CN tower (1,815 feet!).

That said i have not seen it in any part.. i avoid the city center when i can.. anyway i think its a good idea.. maybe something a bit more useful like something people could actually go up might have been nice.. the thing at Smithfield is pretty cool so something as tall as the Bertie Pole but you can go up inside it and look around for miles!! That would have been cool.

At least no one has anything like it in the world so its unique.. just like Irish people!

daveJAM · 22-01-2003 4:42pm

Apparantly it is the worlds tallest Sculpture.

Bard · 22-01-2003 4:42pm

Originally posted by Saruman
Its probably the only free standing pointy thing in the world too!! Some people have reffered to it as the tallest structure in the world.. i doubt it comes close to the Eiffel Tower and certainly not as high as the CN tower (1,815 feet!).

The official Eiffel Tower web site says here that it is 324m tall, dwarfing our spire by over 200m.

Originally posted by daveJAM

Apparantly it is the worlds tallest Sculpture.

Yes. Previously it was Windwand in London which stands (stood?) 50m tall.

http://www.carbospars.com/freestanding.html

El Marco · 22-01-2003 4:45pm

I haven't seen the spike yet in real life but from the pictures imo it looks tacky and out of place.

ballooba · 22-01-2003 4:48pm

Originally posted by hedgetrimmer
I have to say I am singlulary unimpressed.

What I think would be good - both to focus on it and to regain revenue, would be if the govt opened a tourist information, etc booth at the bottom of it. That way, dubliners could point tourists quickly to a tourist office, and it could act as a central point for tours, etc

I am certain that every tour company in the capital will start capitilising on our fair 'Spire' now. Are bus tours allowed up O'Connell St during the development? If not someone should set up a wlaking tours company.

P.s. I want five percent on the first million euro profit if you do this.:D

ballooba · 22-01-2003 4:50pm

Originally posted by El Marco
I haven't seen the spike yet in real life but from the pictures imo it looks tacky and out of place.

Shouldn't look out of place when the rest of the development is finished?

Bard · 22-01-2003 4:53pm

Originally posted by ballooba
I am certain that every tour company in the capital will start capitilising on our fair 'Spire' now. Are bus tours allowed up O'Connell St during the development? If not someone should set up a wlaking tours company.

P.s. I want five percent on the first million euro profit if you do this.:D

Dublin has had historical walking tours for years.

www.historicalinsights.ie

oeNeo · 22-01-2003 5:45pm

As I've said in previous threads I think it's a good idea.

Also wouldn't it be great if this thread was called The "Spike" Pole? I crack me up.

ManWithThePlan · 22-01-2003 6:48pm

I like it.
Wonder how long it will take before some poor f*cker is tied to it on his stag night?

Jim · 22-01-2003 11:14pm

jesus, when i voted i thought id be the only yes vote. have to say im a big fan of the spire, most [well actually all] of my mates hate it, aswell as my family, and apparently everyone on the 9.05 27B. Personally i dont really see the point in moaning so much, there no tgonna take it down now. I hear alot of plp sayin why didnt they put the money into the health system, or to help the homeless. 1. if u put 10 milliion euro [never mind 3] into a hospital, u wouldnt see anything out of it and 2. if thats the attitude why not close down everything thats unneccesesary, the zoo for example, of the musuems, close them all down!

Personally i coulndt give a ****, Dublin is still a ****hole, i just ppl wouldnt go on about it so much, tis gettin mighty boring.

Jimmeh

DiscoStu · 22-01-2003 11:21pm

Originally posted by El Marco
I haven't seen the spike yet in real life but from the pictures imo it looks tacky and out of place.

tbh it would have looked an awful lot better if they put it down by the financial centre. the modern architeture of the buildings there would have complemented it more than georgian/edwardian stuff on o'connel st.

ando · 23-01-2003 12:14am

coming from trinity college direction onto oconnel bridge, I have to say it did not look that good, however as I got closer to it the size of it hit me. I like it at the mo, its the tallest man made thing I've ever seen

BuffyBot · 23-01-2003 12:18am

I think it's a brilliant focal point..

Something I'm sure I heard on the news, but I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong...doesn't the top light up at night?

DiscoStu · 23-01-2003 12:25am

there is what looks like a big dirty red light buld on the top incase some moron decides to fly a plane over it even the though the city centre is restricted airspace.

sceptre · 23-01-2003 12:57am

Originally posted by boogie man
Why do the french need the Eiffel Tower

Indeed.

Of course there was a radio antenna on top of it for years but that was added far later (the 1920s I suspect) than when it was built (1889 or summat)

Also worth remembering that les Parisiens hated the Eiffel tower for a long time - these days they wouldn't think of parting with it.

spooky donkey · 23-01-2003 1:38am

Well i voted for it and i havent even seen it yet!

I liked it so much I baught O`Connel Street!
Now where`s my monopoly board gone!

OLDYELLAR · 23-01-2003 9:59am

personally i think its a waste of money , its very impressive etc etc , but jesus the money would of gone a long way to help all the poor homeless folk thst`l be sleeping around it tonight.

Hobbes · 23-01-2003 2:45pm

Originally posted by daveJAM
Apparantly it is the worlds tallest Sculpture.

Worlds tallest lamp post more like.

memphis · 23-01-2003 4:10pm

I heard an olde one on the news say that they should put Bertie sitting on the top of it, to be honest I'm in total agreement with her.

I think its a complete waste of money!!

Elmo · 23-01-2003 4:32pm

What's not to like about the lamp post.

Worlds tallest lamp post more like.

total agree hobbes

Elmo · 23-01-2003 4:37pm

no offence to the designer of the spike but the perivous holder of the highest sclupture was very similar. but then when you've seen one lamp post you've seen them all. Anyone up for a race to the top first one to touch the light is the winner, go on you know you want to.

Oh and what about a I don't care option on this one??????

CodeMonkey · 23-01-2003 5:41pm

The Spike isn't too bad looking but give it a week or 2 before the graffiti kiddies get to work. What boggles the mind is the cost of it. Someone told me it costs 46million euros to put up. I haven't checked up on it to confirm the cost but if it's anywhere near that figure than it's just a silly waste of money.

ozt9vdujny3srf · 23-01-2003 5:59pm

yes of COURSE it cost 46 million

go fetch me a glass hammer and some rubber nails.

maybe he said 4 to 6 million

4 mil is the figure i read in the times

oeNeo · 23-01-2003 5:59pm

46million? I think it was more like 4.6 million

El Marco · 23-01-2003 6:09pm

I heard 60 million

But maybe that was the total cost of doing up the street.

Dont be at yourself · 23-01-2003 6:56pm

I was told 100 bajillion, though it's possible I dreamt that.

It's nice enough, I suppose. It's kind of hard to get excited about a metal spike, but it's nice.

Gatekeeper · 24-01-2003 12:06pm

Could be an interesting alternative for punishing joyriders and the like. Instead of leaving them on Spike Island - leave them on the Spike - the sharp end - for a few weeks. See how they'd like it then. Let 'em have it up the Kaiber. Or is that going a bit beyond the (im)pale!!!

The "Spike" Poll

The "Spike" Poll - do you like it? 92 votes

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