The Spire of Dublin (also known as the Monument of Light) is a stainless steel monument (120 metres or 390 feet) in height, commissioned in 2003 to replace Nelson's Pillar, a large granite column capped by a statue of Horatio Nelson that was destroyed by explosives planted by Irish republicans in March 1966. The DNA double helix supposedly inspired the pattern around the base of the Spire. Many Dubliners ridiculed the Spire as devoid of cultural connection to the city or even as a danger to low-flying aircraft.