Final piece of Dublin Spire put in place

Hundreds of people gathered on O'Connell Street applauded and cheered at 12.20 p.m

Hundreds of people gathered on O'Connell Street applauded and cheered at 12.20 p.m. as the sixth and final section of the Spire of Dublin was put in place.

Dublin's O'Connell Street northbound was closed as the crane hoisted the tip high into the Dublin skyline. Within 20 minutes it was arching its way way back across the street, this time with an empty winch.

The final stage of Spire's erection is complete, bringing to an end the long-running saga of the State's principal millennium project.

A viewer admiring the Spire from Henry Street after the final piece was installed today.

Costing €4.6 million The Spire of Dublin - to use its official title - has been widely criticised and campaigned against, and high winds have delayed its completion several times.

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But the fourth and fifth sections were installed overnight after the recent strong winds eased. They gusted again early this morning further delaying completion by a few more tantalising hours.

The Spire now rises 120 metres from its two-metre-wide base: seven times the height of the GPO and twice as high as the capital's tallest building, Liberty Hall.

The first section was lowered into place by Europe's biggest crane on December 18th. However, the break for Christmas holidays and high winds slowed further progress.

The lowest section of the stainless steel monolith is swathed in a plastic covering, which will be removed when construction on securing the base is complete.