A former fireman who was among the first on the scene when Nelson’s Pillar was blown up on O’Connell Street in 1966 has been reunited with the head of the controversial admiral.

Michael Hempenstall was only a young recruit in Dublin Fire Brigade when the lights flashed in Dorset Street station and he was sent with his colleagues to deal with the aftermath of the IRA explosion at 1.30am on March 8.

His photograph appeared on the front of the Irish Independent the next morning holding the head of the statue after it was discovered in the rubble beneath the ruined column.

More than 50 years have passed, but now Rialto man Mr Hempenstall (76) has come face to face with that famous head once more – literally.

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While Nelson’s prominent presence in the centre of Dublin’s main thoroughfare led to criticism from many quarters in its latter years, his head now sits quietly in a corner of Pearse Street Library – barely noticed by anyone who comes in.

“The memories are like yesterday. In Dorset Street our light went on and we knew we were getting ready for action, but we didn’t know what we were going to and as soon as we hit the road we got messages over the radio that they thought Nelson had been blown up,” Mr Hempenstall remembered.

“As soon as we hit Parnell Street it was just unbelievable. It was like this big huge quarry of rocks blocking the whole street,” he added. “Everybody was confused because they didn’t know whether there were people underneath it, whether there were cars underneath it and we started rooting away and removing rocks weighing several tonnes.

“We just did our best and after an hour or two it was called off and the scene was minded by the cops,” he said.

“There was a photographer for the Irish Independent on the spot and myself and a colleague were rooting away and it was like something that happened instantaneously.

“We saw this head and we looked at it and next thing the photographer said ‘right lads, put your hands on his head there’ so we did.”

He said the first time he knew it was in the paper was a phone call from America that every paper had it on the front page.

Being reunited with Nelson brought back memories for Mr Hempenstall. “For a long time I forgot all about Nelson. It’s only in recent times that my son has resurrected the idea.

“Looking at him now he’s an ugly guy isn’t he?” Mr Hempenstall said with a laugh.

The head has been through the wars, between allegedly being used as target practice from the GPO in 1916, being blown up in 1966 and then being dragged around the country as a trophy, Lord Nelson has had a few of his features knocked off and distorted.

“It looks the same as I remember when I put my hand on it that night. It was just one of those things that happened in life,” said Mr Hempenstall.

“It’s good to see him again. It brings back memories of an exciting night in the fire brigade. There was eight fire brigades, ambulances, cops everywhere,” he added.

Mr Hempenstall had only been in the fire brigade a little over a year when the column was blown up, and hadn’t a full uniform.

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