GregF

I saw that the other three pieces have been delivered to the site and are lying on the ground awaiting hoisting into place…..now if only the winds would abate. Tis to be windy for the rest of the week. The shiney steel looked good however this morning in the semi dark as it glistened in the street light.

O Ciaran……calm time will ye, jesus…..I think you’ve missed the point of what I overall imply….and thanks for the sarky ‘inferiority complex’ jibe too…. but maybe it is a reflection of the Irish nation itself.
I never used the term ‘West Brit’, but you yourself did and on several occasions. (Is that perhaps a reflection of a deep down inner feeling that you maintain. We are after all however a lot more British here in Ireland than we would like to admit as the British are far more European than they’d like to admit. History has dictated this of which we refuse to admit.)
I simply implied that some folk here are more entranced by the ongoings of the banalities of cross channel soaps and sporting events rather than taking an interest in their own built environment, yet they feel they have a right to critisize what in the long run may be better for their native city. (It is a free country too, people can do what they like, and why not)
Regarding the height and scale thing …..well if you look at the history of architecture it was always a competiveness that has produced great architecture, has’nt it………a competiveness and an urge to build bigger, build better, build more flamboyant…etc….etc….and it’s from this that we have a great history of great architecture to look upon today. From the times of the Egyptians, the Romans, The Renaissance, The Gothic, The Baroque, the 20th Century; whether it be Pyramids, Temples, Cathedrals Castles, Manor Houses, Parliaments, Social Housing for the masses……Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and so on …. there has always been a want to build better for the betterment of humanity…….but that is a bit lacking in the imagination of the Irish general public at times ……hence our middle of the road complacent surroundings, acres of houses and the urban sprawl, bad transport etc …etc…..etc….that we have in Ireland today…..Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Coming from an agrarian background too we don’t really have a great knack of urban living like our fellow Europeans…..do we.
It is what undercurrent ideology (what ever that maybe) that’s behind a society that produces the best of a society………hence at the end of the day some societies have a better quality of life and better outward trappings that go with it…(and that’s what matters….is’nt it)
You do realize that don’t you …………..but jesus…..why bother!

Keep living in your little land of insignificance Ciaran O………and sure ‘everything will be grand’ won’t it.
‘Ye’ll never improve yourself if ye cannot first critisize yourself’…..now who said that, David Brent ye say?…….Buddha?……..or was it Roy Keane?……but I suppose people have different levels of standards and standards of levels.
Sorry for offending your patriotic sensibilities but it’s such sensibilities that has kept dear old Ireland backward for years Ciaran …..and it can be seen in the standard of architecture which is around you today, but that’s if you open your eyes. It is plain as the nose on your face.
‘Architecture is an outward reflection of a society, indeed it is a reflection of civilization itself’…..I think Plato said that or was it John Fitzgerald.

A Spire, A Spire, Aspire.

Profound or Profane!

I always hark on about this….and will repeat myself again……but in our short lived boom, whilst we wallowed in millions and a good life was to be there to be grasped by all, we had many new landmarkish developments proposed for Dublin city centre. Prominent among them being the Spire which is near completion, 2 bridges by reknowned architect Calatrava ….one of which is near completion, the ill-fated National Conference Centre designed by reknowned Irish/American architect Kevin Roche which would have enlivened the now emerging boring docklands, a National Stadium and sports campus proposed by the government but shot down, the port tunnel and the LUAS to relieve traffic congestion now under construction and a Metro for the city centre which is not.
All major projects that should have been built…..to add significantly to the capital city. A fool would have objected to the lot and such is the great loss to our still ‘provincial British city’.

Look…… jesus!…… ..what is the problem ………no body owes any body anything……… much to the ethos that prevails here in Ireland ……..Whether you are rich or poor…..you can still take a trip along to your local public library and enlightened you little mind to the delights of the knowledge that is known to mankind……whether it be Mills and Boon your preference…..or Plato’s Republic ……or Puccini or Tom Jones or Bernini’s Baroque Sculpture, or Zuggerats and Ancient building….or Stir Fry Cookery or Gardening Today………etc, etc ……it is all there for the general public to learn. I made great use of the ‘Libo’ when I was long enough unemployed in the impoverished starving eighties and I am not from an academic background.

I think you’ve missed the point, by a long shot……and that is, those against the spire are a visually illiterate general public decrying proposals for the city when they know SFA about civic architecture. They’re criticisms are based on what limited art education they got in school, the oppinions of the public media aka the British tabloids and the Herald, and not forgetting the plight of the ‘homeless’ who could have had the 4 million cost funds instead…. so they say.

(Maybe all those concerned about the homeless could take one or two of them home so as to care for them and maybe McCreevy could put aside funding of E40 million anually or more for them. We would then see the publics pseudo christian attitude change.)

Hee hee …….good one Andrew

I have to laugh ……read on the Irish Times today the comments of the Irish natives about the Spike………
Miss Helen Ryan from Edenderry says the funds could have been better spent on the homeless. Someone should tell her that that great mythological figure Jesus once said that the poor will always be with us ….believe me but I have first hand knowledge of the ‘dependancy’ …’everyone owes me’ culture that exist here in Ireland. She recommended something more suitable in it’s place like a statue of Eamonn De Valera one of Ireland’s greats.
Mr John Lawlor says the Spire never impressed him….he says it’s supposed to represent the country in the 21st century but he is not so sure.

However……Ms Asta Kelly originally from Germany but living in Ireland for the last 30 years said the project was very daring and would be admired around the world. I think it is fantastic . It is a great piece of art.

Very obvious to see then that the Irish general public are thick when it comes to the visual arts and architecture…..that they are pessimistic and ignorant….. where as the German lady was more optimistic and open minded.
Sums up Irish society and so much for our over rated education system.

I agree……………but maybe we should start building edifices that will distiguish us as unique from provincial British cities….that will reflect us Irish as a modernized civilized culture far away from the parochial gombeenism of the past.
There is a rich gamut of styles there to use as examples.