LAST UPDATE | 31 May

THE ESB HAS said it did not give permission for a Red Bull skydive that took place at the Poolbeg Chimneys today, and that it wasn’t approached either.

This morning, three Red Bull skydivers jumped from a helicopter flying at 1,280 metres above Dublin Bay to dive through the iconic chimneys.

It’s said that the three Red Bull skydivers – Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel of Austria and Germany’s Max Manow – reached a top speed of 253 kilometres per hour, before landing on Shelly Banks beach.

The skydive was performed in a wingsuit.

It has folds of fabric between the arms and legs that create lift when extended and allow the skydiver to glide through the air over long distances.

A spokesperson for Red Bull said the skydive was “done with rigorous safety measures and with the permission from all the required relevant authorities”, including the Irish Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Control.

Dublin, like you’ve never seen it before 🪂 🤩 🇮🇪

The Red Bull Skydive Team completed the first-ever wing suit flight through Dublin’s most iconic landmark, the Poolbeg Chimneys at 253 km/h 🔥 👏

🪂: Marco Fuerst , Marco Waltenspiel & Max Manow#RedBull #GivesYouWiiings pic.twitter.com/uBoDslzVfZ

— Red Bull Ireland (@redbullIRE) May 31, 2024

However, the ESB said this was a “serious safety incident” which it was not made aware of.

A spokesperson for ESB said that while the Poolbeg chimneys are no longer in use, they form part of an operational site where regular maintenance and works are being carried out.

The spokesperson noted that the ESB is currently undertaking work on the chimneys.

“As part of these works, there are steeplejacks working on one of the chimneys with ropes hanging from that chimney presently,” said the ESB spokesperson.

They added that there was the potential for a “very serious safety incident for the Skydivers involved, as well as the workers on the chimney”.

Poolbeg Chimneys skydive Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

The ESB said that it is taking this incident “very seriously” and that it has “raised this safety incident with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA)”.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the HSA said it is “aware of the incident and are investigating”. 

The IAA has also been approached for comment.

The ESB meanwhile said it “would like to remind everyone that skydiving through the Poolbeg chimneys, or any other encroachment on the chimneys in Poolbeg, is dangerous and is not permitted.”