The Poolbeg Towers

As one of Dublin’s most iconic, recreated, and adored landmarks, the Poolbeg Chimneys stand 207 meters above the city and guard the entrance to the docks. 

First built in 1969 and 1977, the towers were decommissioned in 2010 and now stand obsolete beside the new Poolbeg Incinerator. The towers belong to the power station which was built beside the old Pigeon House station and began producing electricity in 1971. In 2014 when it was reported that the ESB were thinking of demolishing the towers due to resources issues, there was a significant public outcry and due to this the decision was reversed.  

Famously, the towers appeared in U2s music video for Pride(In the Name of Love) and also in an early press shot of Elvis Costello 

The towers stand at the beginning of the Great South Wall which is home to the iconic red Poolbeg Lighthouse. The very popular walk along the sea wall gives people a chance to see both the north and south of Dublin all the way from Howth Head to Dun Laoghaire and beyond, even being able to see the Great Sugar Loaf on a clear day. The sea wall took almost 50 years to build and at that time was one of the longest sea walls in the world. Today it remains one of the largest in Europe stretching 1.5km from Ringsend.

The lighthouse became operational in 1768 and originally the used candles in order to warn captains of ships of the dangerous sand banks in Dublin Port. The sea wall is built from granite  blocks from Dalkey quarry,  each weighing a ton. Today the lighthouse lies dormant but is visited by many on the beautiful walk along The Great South Wall.