Time in Slime: Seven biggest landmark controversies to hit Ireland

Last week the now world-famous Dublin to New York Portal was unveiled, a piece of public art that has tied the two cities together and brought immense amusement to many from the antics outside the O’Connell Street artwork.

Commissioned by Clare County Council and created by Dublin-based artist Aidan Harte, the sculpture was intended to be put on display in the Clare town of Ennistymon, famous for its horse fair. However, following a backlash from a priest who deemed it “sinister”, the piece was rejected with a poll from the town.

The Spire, which sits at the site of two past monuments in the city, the Anna Livia Fountain and Nelson’s Column, has garnered a lot of media attention over the years as it remained the centre of argument, while some say it reflects a promise the Celtic Tiger never delivered, others are proud of the megalith towering on our capitals main street, either way, it is hard to say The Spire was not the centre of controversy.

Despite objections, the 16-foot wide and 90-foot long piece was erected, and while it became a beloved centrepiece of the main street for many, for others it was an eye sore, collecting rubbish from passersby until it was moved in 2001. After suffering from a spate of technical issues, becoming a nuisance for rowers, and swimmers, and getting covered in mud and algae, giving it the nickname, The Time In Slime, the clock was deemed a disaster and was moved in December of that year. It was a good plan, maybe in the year 3000, we can try again.

The original plaque was set to be removed by Dublin City Council who said that it was unauthorised, but the love of the people saved it with swaths of flowers and messages and the site led to a meeting in 2006, the outcome of which decided it would stay. This defacement was condemned all around by councillors and the Mayor at the time, who said despite people’s opinions, scribbling over the statue was not the way to express their views. Other councillors called the piece an “embarrassment” and pushed for it to be recast.

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