High winds tear glass roof off penthouse

A glass roof of a penthouse overlooking the Liffey in Dublin's up-market Charlotte Quay development was spectacularly ripped off by high winds yesterday.

The glass roof measuring about nine feet by 12 feet was set into the sitting room ceiling of a corner penthouse, oriented in a north-westerly direction and overlooking the river and Grand Canal Dock

As the winds came from the north-west yesterday glass sections of the roof started to lift, eventually ripping off and causing curtains and papers in the room to swirl around dramatically.

Lunchtime diners in the ground floor Ocean Bar watched as two units of Dublin Fire Brigade firemen rushed into the building to restrain flying glass and remove loose panes.

From upper stories of the Millennium Tower residents were able to observe through the roof as paintings and furniture were removed to safety.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Authority said the organisation would be unlikely to become involved as it was not an industrial accident.

"It is more likely to be an issue for the homebond insurance scheme," he said.

The Charlotte Quay apartment complex was developed about eight years ago by one of Dublin's most prolific property developers Mr Liam Carroll, of Zoe Developments.

Last week it was reported that the Dublin Docklands Development Authority was involved in talks with Mr Carroll on the building of a twisting tower of apartments planned for a nearby site at Britain Quay at the mouth of the River Dodder.

The docklands authority wants to raise the height of the proposed "U2 tower" to 100 metres, only 20 metres lower than the Spire.

A competition for the tower was jointly sponsored in 2003 by the authority and U2, whose new recording studio is to be on top of it.

This will replace their old studios in a warehouse on Hanover Quay, which is to be demolished.

The tower was to be 60 metres high but its height would be raised by 40 metres under an amended planning scheme for the Grand Canal Docks area.

It will be up to the Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, to decide whether to permit the significant increase in height following a public consultation period on the amended scheme, which is expected to be exhibited in March.