The night Nelson was toppled in Dublin

On this day, March 8, 1966

the people of Dublin woke up to discover that ‘the pillar’ was almost gone.

During the night Lord Nelson had been toppled. Dublin’s Nelson's Pillar had been blown up and all that was left was less than half the structure. It was purportedly blown up by the IRA.

The Irish Army, using explosives, removed the rest of the structure. It’s said that the army did not do as neat a job as the original bombers.

In its place today stands the Spire.