At last, Dublin sees the point of the Spire

Thousands of people watched the final capping of Dublin's Spire as improved weather conditions allowed the final piece to be put in place with the help of a large crane. The reaction of the onlookers to the replacement of Nelson's Pillar was largely positive.

In contrast, more than four weeks ago the installation of the first section of the Spire proved every inch the damp squib.

Only a few hundred onlookers gathered in the freezing cold on December 18th to watch as the first of six sections was put in place. And most of those assembled had little or nothing good to say about the capital's newest piece of street furniture.

But yesterday, as the final section of the 120-metre structure was installed the mood could not have been more different. Thousands flocked to O'Connell Street to witness a bit of history. And, when the finished Spire was freestanding just after 12.30 p.m., a massive cheer went up.

The Spire's designer, Mr Ian Ritchie, was in town for the final construction phase yesterday and said he felt sure his creation had been welcomed by Dubliners.

"When the spontaneous applause happened it was really wonderful. I felt that people had adopted it. It was a warm moment. It felt great, just fantastic," he said.

The award-winning London architect said when one section had to be taken down during the construction phase because its installation mechanism had become clogged with dirt it was an "electric moment".

"We knew that it worked, because obviously we had tested it. But when you get that far and a section has to be taken down you just hope everything is going to go OK. One never knows what can go wrong."

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Dermot Lacey, said yesterday he was hoping to be asked to unveil the Spire officially in the weeks ahead. He was one of 14 Dublin city councillors who voted against the monument when it was put to the council for a decision in 1999. But he has now changed his tune and looks upon it as "something brave we wouldn't have done 20 years ago".

"The atmosphere here was fantastic when the last section was put in place, and I was a bit surprised by that," he said. "But Dubliners seem to have really rallied around it, and I think it will now become a focal point for the city. I touched the top of it just before it went up, just so I'll always be able to say 'I touched the top of the Spire'."

Cllrs Tony Gregory TD and Royston Brady (FF) were also there to witness the last of the Spire being guided home. Mr Gregory said the scepticism of many Dubliners now seemed to have dissipated.

"I would say what Brendan Behan would say about the begrudgers, but I know the readers of The Irish Times wouldn't appreciate language like that," he said.

Mr Paul O'Kelly, from the Coombe, marked the moment in the traditional Irish way. Just after the Spire was complete he ran to Trader John's pub in Moore Street, ordered four pints of Guinness and brought them back to some of the workers on the site.

"There's always been a touch of eccentricity about Dublin life, and I thought it was an appropriately mad gesture to get the guys a few pints," he said. "Guinness has always been a symbol of Dublin so hopefully in that respect the drink and the Spire will go together in years to come".

Mr O'Kelly's father, Kevin O'Kelly, reported for RTÉ on the "unofficial demolition" of Nelson's Pillar in 1966. "There still exists black-and-white footage of him on this site at the time, so it's a special day for me."

A Moore Street trader, Ms Sarah Kearns, said she thought the Spire was "all right". "We got the Bertie Pole instead of the Bertie Bowl," she said. "It's a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be."

Mr Gary Franklin from Beaumont said he thought the Spire was "a good idea". "It'll get a lot of tourists to the north side of the city. What I like most about it is is that it's built where four streets meet. There's lots of space around it. It's not enclosed anyway, so you can see it from a lot of places. It suits the area very well."

Dublin City Business Association yesterday congratulated Dublin City Council on the successful completion of the Spire of Dublin.

"The Spire of Dublin is a modern piece of public art that reflects not only the beginning of the restoration of Ireland's main street but is a symbolic expression of a modern Ireland facing the future with confidence," it said in a statement.

"It is now time to create new momentum to complete the plaza between Clery's and the GPO at the earliest date," it added.