The iconic Poolbeg chimneys may be set for a big change as Dublin City Council revealed that they could be encased in fibreglass or concrete to ensure their survival.
The twin chimneys were built in the 1970s and have since been adopted by Dubliners as a staple of the city's skyline, with many images and artworks of the capital centred around the two red-and-white striped towers.
The chimneys themselves were decommissioned from work in 2006 and 2010 respectively, and maintenance work costing several million euro to keep the stacks in the sky has been ongoing for the last few years, including putting steel caps in the tops in 2015.
But those efforts may soon see part or all of the chimneys encased in fibreglass or concrete to support their structural integrity, according to the Irish Times.
Either change would be a massive one to the appearance of the 270m twins, which were designed originally to stand and be used for around 30-40 years.
"These interventions are likely to alter the appearance and integrity of the structures as originally designed," Dublin City Council told Green Party councillor Claire Byrne.
"ESB is concerned that adding the chimneys to the Record of Protected Structures will not provide any additional security to that provided under the maintenance programme, and may actively impede any ongoing structural interventions or necessary external cladding in the future."
ESB gave a written commitment back in 2017 to continue maintaining the chimneys for another ten years.
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