The Irish Times

Liberty Hall

Liberty Hall occupies a special place in the consciousness of Dublin. Love it or loathe it, the city's first "skyscraper" was - and still is - the icon of an earlier era, when Dublin was emerging from the pervasive gloom of the 1950s into a period of relative prosperity and hope for the future. More than four decades after it was officially opened as the proud new headquarters of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, and despite all the talk and plans to build higher elsewhere, it retains its status as the tallest building in Dublin with 17 storeys that rise to a height of 60 metres (198 feet). While it was being built in the early 1960s, Dubliners watched with a mixture of awe and excitement as the reinforced concrete structure rose up from Eden Quay. And when it was finally finished in 1965, Liberty Hall was hailed as a "crystal tower" and an "inspiring monument" for Irish trade unionism. Some commentators were bowled over. "Under the changing skies of our climate - at night lighted up, or in the daytime - it always looks handsome," said a gushing review in the Irish Builder. "When seen against a blue sky with white clouds sailing over, it has a gossamer quality as charming as a Japanese print scene."