Editing Spire of Dublin (section)

==History==
[[File:Nelsons Pillar Dublin.jpg|thumb|left|[[Nelson's Pillar]] stood on the site of the Spire until it was destroyed by a bomb in 1966.]]
Following the bombing of [[Nelson's Pillar]] by former [[Irish Republican Army (1922–69)|IRA]] members in 1966, and subsequent controlled demolition six days later of what was left,<ref name=rtearchivec>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2013/0308/375076-demolition-of-nelsons-pillar/|work=RTÉ Archives |title=Nelson Pillar Demolished - 1966|publisher=RTÉ |access-date=2022-10-06 |date=1966-03-14 }}</ref> the site remained vacant for years as no decision could be reached on a suitable replacement.<ref name=rtearchivea>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0331/864114-a-spire-of-light-for-dublin/|work=RTÉ Archives |title=New Monument For O’Connell Street - 2002|publisher=RTÉ |access-date=2022-10-06 |date=2002-04-08 }}</ref> Eventually, the ''[[Anna Livia (monument)|Anna Livia]]'' monument was installed on the site to celebrate the [[Dublin Millennium|1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations]].

In 1998, as part of a planned multi-million euro re-development of O'Connell Street (as well as a memorial to the upcoming [[Millennium celebrations|millennium]] and the aspirations of Ireland in the midst of its [[Celtic Tiger]] economic boom), a competition was launched to find a replacement for Nelson's Pillar.<ref name=rtearchivea/> O'Connell Street had been in decline for a number of years due to the proliferation of fast-food restaurants, the opening of bargain shops using cheap plastic shop fronts, and proliferation of derelict sites along both sides of the road. The re-development plan, which was aimed for completion by 2004, hoped to move the street "away from the image of fast-food restaurants, to (that of) a 'family' place to go".<ref name=rtearchivea/> As part of the project to improve the overall streetscape, a new granite plaza was promised<ref name=rtearchiveb/> and the number of trees in the central reservation, which had overgrown and obscured views and monuments, was reduced dramatically. This was controversial, as the trees had been growing for a century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emigrant.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12373&Itemid=27|title=Temporary reprieve for O'Connell Street trees |work=The Irish Emigrant|date=17 November 2002}}</ref> Statues were cleaned and in some cases relocated. Shop owners were required to replace plastic signage and frontage with more attractive designs. Traffic was re-directed where possible away from the street and the number of traffic lanes was reduced to make it more appealing to pedestrians. The centrepiece of this regeneration was to be the replacement monument for Nelson's Pillar.

[[File:The Spire-doyler79.jpg|left|upright|thumb|The Spire looking towards the Liffey]]
The Spire, or ''Spire of Light'', was chosen from a large number of submissions in an international competition by a committee chaired by the [[Lord Mayor of Dublin]], [[Joe Doyle (politician)|Joe Doyle]]. Following an appeal by an objector,<ref name=rtearchiveb/> the plans were taken to the [[High Court (Ireland)|High Court]], meaning that the monument was not ready for the Millennium celebrations in the year 2000.<ref name=rtearchivea/> On 28 December 2000, after an [[Environmental impact assessment|Environmental Impact Study (EIS)]] had been carried out, Environment Minister [[Noel Dempsey]] announced that construction of the Monument of Light, or ''The Spike'', had been approved and that construction of the monument would take nineteen months to complete.<ref name=rtearchiveb>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2015/1221/755422-monument-of-light/|work=RTÉ Archives |title=Plans For The Spire - 2000|publisher=RTÉ |access-date=2022-10-06 |date=2000-12-28 }}</ref> The announcement constituted a defeat for [[An Taisce]], Ireland's non-governmental organisation active in the areas of the environment and built heritage, which had called for the spire's height to be reduced.<ref name=rtearchiveb/> Dempsey noted that [[Dublin Corporation]] had previously failed to complete an EIS in its haste to complete the monument quickly.<ref name=rtearchiveb/>

The spire was designed by [[Ian Ritchie (architect)|Ian Ritchie]] of [[Ian Ritchie Architects]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/spike-costs-a-million-to-keep-clean-1583120.html|title=Spike costs a million to keep clean|work=Evening Herald|date=22 December 2008}}</ref> who sought an "Elegant and dynamic simplicity bridging art and technology". The contract was awarded to SIAC-Radley JV and it was manufactured by Radley Engineering of [[Dungarvan]], [[County Waterford]], and erected by SIAC Construction Ltd & GDW Engineering Ltd. The ''Anna Livia'' monument was eventually moved away to make room for the Spire in 2001.

In December 2015, to coincide with the Irish premier of ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'', a large temporary [[Lightsaber]] hilt was installed at the base of the Spire to light the Spire blue at night.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McLysaght |first1=Emer |title=Dublin's Spire has been turned into a giant lightsaber for Star Wars |url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/dublin-spire-lightsabre-2503136-Dec2015/ |website=The Daily Edge |access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref>

In May 2024, ''[[New York–Dublin Portal|The Portal]]'' was opened. It created a visual bridge connecting Dublin and New York with a live videostream of The Spire shown to New Yorkers, while the portal in New York was broadcast from the [[Flatiron Building]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Snider|first1=Mike|title=Mystical Portals now connect New York and Dublin, part of a bridge 'to a united planet'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/05/09/portal-dublin-new-york/73633531007/|access-date=14 May 2024|work=[[USA Today]]|date=9 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513200942/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/05/09/portal-dublin-new-york/73633531007/|archive-date=13 May 2024}}</ref>