Spire inspires more websites

Spire-related website addresses continue to be registered by private interests weeks after Dublin City councillors agreed on the monument's name.

When Dublin City Council went to register a website address for the Spire earlier this year, officials found that more than 10 addresses had already been registered by two individuals. The website addresses contain variations on the words: "spire", "Dublin" and "monument of light".

This was before the monument's official name had been agreed by councillors on March 3rd. While some addresses had been registered as long ago as April, 2001, The Irish Times has learned that one Spire-related website address was registered last week.

In February, the council made telephone contact with the individuals, Mr Mark Hyland from Dublin, and Mr Trevor Enright from Limerick, and asked if they would be willing to transfer the addresses for the price they paid for them.

The council did not make a definite offer and no contact has been made since.

Website addresses can be registered for as little as $8, although some can cost significantly more if there is interest in the address.

Web-designer Mr Enright registered the www.dublinspire.com address late last year.

He said he was surprised that the council had not thought of registering the names given that it cost as little as $8.

Both he and Mr Hyland stressed that they had not bought the addresses with the aim of selling them at inflated prices.

"The name was available, so I went and got it," Mr Enright said. "This was years after the Spire was being talked about."

He said he believed the name would become very popular, once the Spire became established as a landmark. He had put a lot of work into the site, and was not sure if he would be interested in selling the name.

Mr Enright's site is a directory of shops, tourist attractions and services in Dublin. It has established links with other sites, including amazon.com, the online book store.

"If they want to offer me a ridiculous amount of money then I won't stop them."

Businessman Mr Hyland said he was not interested in "cyber-squatting", and said one look at his www.spireofdublin.ie website would show that it was not an example of this. He plans on developing a detailed guide to the city on the website.