The Poolbeg chimneys in Sandymount could be encased in fibreglass or concrete for their preservation.
The twin stacks, so beloved of many Dubliners, were built in the 1970s as part of an electricity power station before they were decommissioned by the ESB more than a decade ago. The pair are reported to be in sate of disrepair due to standing solemly without any heat to prevent damage from the elements of rain and cold conditions.
A medium-term maintenance programme is expected to cost several million euro.
For longer-term preservation, Dublin City Council says major interventions are needed – which may “alter the appearance and integrity of the structures as originally designed“.
Green Party Councillor Claire Byrne says the structures are now a heritage issue.
She said: “Hopefully it could be done in such a way that we may be able to at least maintain them, and repaint the red and white so we’re not completely losing them altogether.
She said that any safety issues around the structure need to be taken seriously.
However, she’s called for the chimneys to be put on the protected structure list – saying there’s also a “need to do everything we can to ensure they stay as much as they are“.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar also reckons that they are worthy of great respect…
The stacks are a symbol of Dublin. Second only to the three castles. Any work carried out needs to be sensitive: https://t.co/WsHN3Oa554
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) March 9, 2021
