Spire of Dublin

Welcome to the Spire of Dublin, officially titled the Monument of Light. As you stand at the base of this towering needle of stainless steel, you are at the geographic and symbolic heart of the Irish capital. …

Standing directly at the base of the Spire, you can appreciate the precision of its construction. The monument is made of eight hollow tubes of stainless steel, each becoming progressively thinner as they ascend. …

Just a short walk south from the Spire stands the General Post Office, or G-P-O. This neoclassical building, with its grand portico of Ionic columns, is perhaps the most significant historical structure in Ireland. …

At the southern end of the street, we find the grand monument to Daniel O'Connell, after whom this thoroughfare is named. O'Connell, known as 'The Liberator,' was the nineteenth-century statesman who secured Catholic Emancipation…

O'Connell Bridge is unique in Europe for being as wide as it is long. Built in the late eighteenth century and originally named Carlisle Bridge, it was widened in 1880 to accommodate the growing traffic of the city. …

Returning toward the Spire, we enter the vibrant commercial heart of the North Bank. To your left is Henry Street, one of the city's two main shopping thoroughfares. …

As we conclude our journey at the foot of the Spire, take one last look up its tapering length toward the tip. It is a structure that is both there and not there—a solid piece of engineering that seems to dissolve into the sky. …