Poolbeg Chimneys
Twin red-and-white striped concrete power-station chimneys, among the tallest structures in the city.
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About this audio guide
This guide to the Poolbeg Chimneys in Dublin opens with a 2014 phone call, when an ESB planner floated demolishing the two red-and-white towers and Dubliners revolted. From there it traces the chimneys back to 1969 and 1977, when engineer Maurice O'Sullivan raised them purely to vent smoke from an oil-burning power station using slip-form concrete construction, their stripes meant only to warn passing aircraft and ships. You'll hear how musicians and returning travelers came to see the stacks differently over the decades, and what happened after the station itself shut down in 2010. Listen for how a city's affection for two smokestacks was tested.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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