dispatches
IconicEyesores
ThePoolbeg smokestacksmaybeugly, but
Dubliners can’t imagine the citywithout them
dublin
D
ublin City Councilor Dermot
Lacey is striding along the
rain-whippedGreat SouthWall in
Ringsend, a rundown industrial area
close to thecity’sport.Toweringabove
him are the Poolbeg smokestacks, a
pair of candy-striped power-plant
chimneys that have dominated the
skyline here for four decades.
While fewwould describe these
680-foot-tall beastsasattractive,they
do have a presence. “They’re the last
thing you see leavingDublin,” says
Lacey, “and the first thing you see
coming back.”And their visibility
doesn’t end there:U2used them as a
backdrop in themusicvideo for their
1984 hit “Pride,” and last year they
appeared in anArmani ad.
Since being decommissioned
in 2010, though, the chimneys have
had little practical value, and there
have been calls for their demoli-
tion. Appalled by the prospect,
Lacey launched a campaign to save
the stacks, which quickly gained
popular support.
“You couldn’t get rid of them.No
way,” says Deirdre, a local woman
in her 30s, who is braving today’s
inclement weather for her regular
brisk walk along the wall. “It’s the
stripes,” she adds. “They look a bit
like the Cat in the Hat, fromDr.
Seuss. If it wasn’t for those stripes, I
don’t think anyonewould care.”
Earlier this year, the stacks got a
reprieve,whichLacey seesasavictory
for local culture. “Many stories have
been livedout in the shadowof these
chimneys,”he says.“Theyevokea lot
of memories, good and bad.”When
askedhowDublinersmight respond
if the Poolbeg plant were to be built
today, Lacey emits a rueful laugh.
“Oh, I have no doubt that people
would object,” he says, “probably
includingmyself.”
—LEAHCARRI
HowtoSweat
LikeaHawaiian
hawaii
22
T
hismonth (October 10), the
IronmanWorldChampionship
comes toKailua-Kona, Hawaii, as the
world’s finestmasochists compete in
a triathlon that requires a2.4-mile
swim, a112-milebicycle raceand
a26.2-mile run. This laid-back
paradisemight seemanodd choice
for suchanevent, but the locals
hereareno strangers tophysical
exertion. Here, how toworkout like
an islander.
—CHRISWRIGHT
1.
TREECLIMBING
Approach the tree and
grip the sideswithboth
hands, thewayyoumight
when giving someone a
good talking to. Next, hopup
and squeeze the trunkwith
the (bare) soles of the feet, knees
akimbo. Extendyour legs and regrip
with thehands, thenquicklybring
your feet up. Repeat until you either
reach a coconut or fall down.
2.
HULADANCING
First, put on
appropriatemusic
(the “Hukilau” song,
rather than “Can’t Feel
MyFace”), then swing
your hips to either
side, as if trying tobarge
yourwayoff a crowded
subway car.Withyour
arms, make likeyou’rehauling in a
fishingnet, thenpretend to throw it
away, wiggling and stepping side to
side as youdo so. Phew.
3.
SPAMEXTRACTING
While ring-pull topshave replaced
the finger-slicing, key-twistmethod
of old, you still needa strongwrist
anda steadynerve toopena tinof
Hawaii’s favorite foodstuff. Next, you
need toget themeat to come
out,which requiresholding
the tinupsidedownand
banging itsbase for anhour
or so. After this, e ‘ai kaua!
