Smithfield’s chimney with a view 

From a whiskey distillery chimney to one of Dublin’s beloved attractions, the Smithfield Chimney Tower located at Smithfield Square offers a 360-degree panoramic view and a new angle on the fair city. 

Built back in 1895 and originally used to distill Ireland’s famous Jameson Whiskey, the chimney is one of Dublin’s tallest buildings reaching a height of 60 meters.  

The winding 259-step trip to the top of the tower provides visitors with a better idea of the landmark’s past as old pictures and projects are plastered on the walls of the attraction. 

Located at the top of the chimney, the viewing tower consists of an enclosed two-tier glass observation platform that gives aeriel views of Dublin’s most famous sights including the Spire, Phoenix Park, Croke Park, Glasnevin Cemetery, The Dublin Mountains, and St Stephen’s Green. 

Many say that on a clear day, you can see as far north as the Mourne Mountains located in County Down. 

Archive and Site History:  

Jameson Distillery was founded in Smithfield and the site functioned as a distillery from that time until it closed in the early 1970s. 

The distillery together with the local fruit and produce markets ensured Smithfield was a thriving area throughout the last century and much of this century.

The commercial history of the area is closely allied to the fortunes of the lrish whiskey industry. 

The four big Dublin distillers of the time, John Jameson, John Power, William Jameson and George Roe considered themselves the elite of the whiskey makers in lreland – and with that, lrish whiskey was considered a quality product abroad.  

Up to the 1870s these firms grew, prospered, and enjoyed large export trade operations continued out of Smithfield until they closed the Distillery in the early 1970s and rationalised their production to Midleton, Co Cork. 

In June 1999, a project by architect Andrzej Wejchert got underway to transform the malthouse chimney in the old Jameson Distillery in Smithfield into an observation platform offering panoramic views over Dublin. 

Wejchert had strongly believed in welcoming opportunities to recycle old buildings and give them new uses.  

The sky is the limit when paying the famous landmark a visit.