The fountain would stretch 1,000 feet into the air . . . three times higher than the Spire on O'Connell Street, Dublin . . .

and would be visible from all around Galway Bay.

The plan for the landmark water feature, provisionally called 'The Pearl of Galway Bay', was put together by Galway dentist Paul Moore and Offaly-based marine engineer Mark Clarke. The pair submitted the proposal as part of the planned 2bn redevelopment of the Galway docklands.

"We know the concept is feasible, because we have found instances where it has been done around the world, " Moore told the Sunday Tribune. "The highest water fountain in the world is 800ft tall and was built in Jeddah 20 years ago. We've spoken to the company that built that fountain, and they've agreed to act as consultants on this project. It's not like we're trying to invent the wheel. This can be done if the will is there."

Moore and Clarke came up with the concept of the fountain seven years ago after seeing the design for the Spire in Dublin. "When we heard the docks were going to be developed, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to build the fountain, " said Moore. "We've been seriously researching the project for the past 12 months now."

As part of their proposal, Moore and Clarke claim that the structure could be a major international tourist attraction. They suggest possible tourist activities such as boat trips around the fountain, a "visually interactive light show at night", and a visitor centre for the pump house.

"If nothing else, I think people would come to Ireland and come to Galway just to look at the fountain itself, " said Moore. "People always want to see something when it's the biggest in the world. It would change the face of the city and be a really magnificent sight for boats coming into the bay."

While no final costings have been done for the development of the fountain, the proposal estimates that construction costs would stand at between 10m and 15m.

"It can really be as expensive as you want, " said Moore.

"The taller it is, the more expensive it will be. We hit upon the idea for 1,000ft because that would make the fountain the biggest in the world, but it could be smaller than that if necessary."