A new mobile phone mast design, inspired by a famous Dublin landmark, is proving popular in mainland Europe, but not so popular at home.
The "Five Lamps" mast was created to resemble the famous lamp-post structure in Dublin's north inner city and has already been adopted in parts of Spain and France.
However, planning authorities in Dublin have not been overly impressed by the design. Permission to erect such masts in Templeogue and Dundrum has been refused.
Conceived by the ESB, the mast was engineered by the German company Fleiderer, which is marketing it on the Continent. Both companies have retained a patent on the design. "It's trying to look at something that is more architecturally pleasing," says Mr Seamus Hughes of ESB Telecoms.
The 20-metre structure has been specifically created for use in urban, residential areas and represents an attempt to deal with public dissatisfaction with existing mobile phone mast designs. The five globes of the "lamp" mean that there are no visible dishes or antennae.
The mast, which costs three times as much as the traditional lattice steel design, is currently being tested in Marrowbone Lane, Dublin and in Salthill, Galway. Unaware of its inspiration, some Galwegians, says the ESB, have said that the mast resembles five large eggs in a tea cup.