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DUBLIN - IRELAND
Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) is the capital and largest city of the
Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast,
at the mouth of the River Liffey in the County Dublin. The name Dublin
derives from the Irish Dubh Linn ("the Black Pool"); the modern Irish-language
name Baile Átha Cliath ("The City of the Ford of the Reed Hurdles")
refers to the settlement which adjoined the Black Pool.
The earliest reference to Dublin is in the writings of Ptolemy around
the year A.D. 140, who calls it Eblana .
Dublin has a population of some 495,000 (CSO Census 2002) within the
official city boundary, though such a definition has become largely
meaningless with the development and spread of suburbs and satellite
towns over a wide surrounding area. The population of the city and
county is in excess of 1,100,000 (CSO Census 2002). Though there is no
exact agreed definition of the "Greater Dublin" area it would be
generally accepted as including all of the city and county and parts of
counties Wicklow, Kildare and Meath with the limits of the commuter belt
stretching to a much greater distance.
Summary
Dublin has its origins back in the 10th century in the Viking settlement
of An Dubh Linn (Black Pool) and the Celtic settlement Áth Cliath ("hurdle
ford"). The modern city retains the anglicised Irish name of the former
and the Irish of the latter. After the Norman invasion of Ireland Dublin
displaced the Hill of Tara as Irelands capital, much of the power
centring on Dublin Castle until independence. From the 17th century the
city expanded rapidly helped by the Wide Streets Commission. The Easter
Rising of 1916 left the capital in an unstable situation and the Anglo-Irish
War and Irish Civil War left the capital in ruins, with many of its
finest buildings destroyed. The Irish Free State rebuilt much of the
cities buildings but took no bold tasks such as remodelling, it moved
parliament into Leinster House. After The Emergency Dublin remained a
capital out of time, modernisation was slow, the 1960s saw change start.
In recent years the infrastructure has been changed immensely. The
Dublin Area Rapid Transit allowed the city to have a transport system
suited for any modern European city.
Since the beginning of English rule in the twelfth century the city has
served as the capital of the island of Ireland in the varying
geopolitical entities that existed; the Lordship of Ireland (1171-1541)
and the Kingdom of Ireland (1541-1800), the island within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1922) and the Irish Republic
(1919-1922). From 1921, following the partition of Ireland, it served as
the capital of Southern Ireland (1921-1922) and the Irish Free State
(1922-1937). (Many of these states co-existed or competed within the
same timeframe as rivals within either British or Irish constitutional
theory.)
Culture
Dublin is a major cultural centre in Ireland. Temple Bar is an important
place for night life and often people from the UK and beyond visit for
the weekend. Dublin is the origin of some prominent artists, the
Dubliners is an anthology of short stories by James Joyce about
Dubliners. Ulysses also by James Joyce, a novel set in Dublin, and it is
full of topographical detail and is both aclaimed and controversial. The
National Print Museum of Ireland and three centers of the National
Museum of Ireland are located in Dublin.
Northside vs Southside
Traditionally a north versus south division has existed in Dublin, with
the dividing line provided by the River Liffey. The Northside (written
as one word) is generally poorer and more working class, while the
Southside is seen as middle and upper class and wealthier. This is also
reflected by Dublin postal districts, with odd numbers being used for
districts on the Northside, e.g: Raheny is in Dublin 5, and even numbers
for ones on the Southside, e.g: Sandymount is in Dublin 4.
This division dates back centuries, certainly to the point when the Earl
of Kildare built his residence on the then less regarded Southside and
was promptly followed by most other Irish peers, who when asked why he
was building on the South Side, said "Where I go, fashion follows me".
Paradoxically, while the Southside is wealthier, the President of
Ireland's residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, is on the Northside, however
its postal district is Dublin 8 which is a Southside number. The
residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and his Church of
Ireland counterparts until the 1920s, are also on the Northside, whilst
one of Dublin's wealthiest suburbs, the Hill of Howth is also on the
Northside. The Southside also has many working-class suburbs, like
Palmerstown, Crumlin, and Ballyfermot.
Education
Dublin is the center of education in Ireland, having three universities.
The University of Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland dating from
the Trinity College, Dublin established by Royal Charter under Elizabeth
I. The National University of Ireland has its seat in Dublin as well as
the location of the associated constitutent university of University
College Dublin. Dublin City University is the most recent university
created in Ireland and specialises in business, engineering and science
courses which are relevant to industry and prides itself on its research
record. Dublin Institute of Technology is a modern technical college and
is the countries largest non-university third level institution, it
specialises in a wide technical but also has unique arts courses it is
soon to move to the Grangegorman Campus. There are also various other
smaller specialised colleges, including private, in the city.
Transport
Dublin is the center of the transport system in Ireland, see
Transportation in Ireland. Dublin Port is the country's most important
sea port. Dublin Airport is the most important airport in the republic
and the bulk of passenger traffic travels through the airport. Heuston
Station and Connolly Station are the city's major railway stations,
Heuston connects with the towns and cities in the Republic while
Connolly serves the Dublin-Belfast route. Dublin is also a major hub to
the country's road network. The Dublin Area Rapid Transit system is the
state's only electrified system and runs at regular intervals on the
railway line along the east coast. The Luas light rail opened in June
2004 and it is hoped that it will usher a new era for south city and
county Dublin; if it is successful a metro system might follow.
City Government
Dublin City is governed by Dublin City Council (formerly called Dublin
Corporation) which is presided over by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who is
elected for a yearly term and resides in the Mansion House, which first
became the residence of the Lord Mayor in 1715. Dublin City Council is
based in two major buildings. Its headquarters is in Dublin City Hall,
the former Royal Exchange taken over for city government use in the
1850s. Many of its administrative staff are based in the controversial
Civic Offices, built on top of what had been one of the best preserved
Viking sites in the world. The Corporation's (as it was then) decision
to bulldoze the historic site proved one of the most controversial in
modern Irish history, with thousands of people, including medieval
historian Fr. F.X. Martin and Senator Mary Robinson (later President of
Ireland) marching to try to stop the destruction. The destruction of the
site on Wood Quay and the building of a set of offices known as The
Bunkers (because of their ugly appearance) is generally seen as one of
the most disastrous acts against Ireland's heritage since independence,
with even Dublin Corporation admitting subsequently that it was ashamed
of its action.
County Dublin
For centuries the city was administered by Dublin Corporation. The
county containing Dublin, known as County Dublin, covers an area of 922
km² and contains over a million inhabitants. In 1994 the Dublin County
Council (the area excluding the city) was divided into three districts,
each with county-level status and its own administration, namely:
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Fingal
South Dublin
National Government
The Republic of Ireland's National Parliament (called Oireachtas Éireann)
consists of the President of Ireland and two houses, Dáil Éireann (the
House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). All three are
based in Dublin. The President of Ireland lives in Áras an Uachtaráin,
the former residence of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State in
the city's largest park, Phoenix Park. Both houses of the Oireachtas
Éireann meet in Leinster House, a former ducal palace on the south side
of the city. The building has been the home of Irish parliaments since
the creation of the Irish Free State on December 6, 1922.
The Irish Government is based in the Irish Government Buildings, a large
building designed by Aston Webb, the architect who created the Edwardian
facade to Buckingham Palace. Initially what is now Government Buildings
was designed for use as the Royal College of Science, the last major
building built by the British administration in Ireland. In 1921 the
House of Commons of Southern Ireland met there. Given its location next
to Leinster House, the Irish Free State government took over part of the
building to serve as a temporary home for some ministries. However both
it and Leinster House (originally meant to be a temporary home of
parliament) became the permanent homes of the government and parliament
respectively. Until 1990, the Irish government shared the building with
the Engineering Faculty of University College Dublin, which retained use
of the central block of the building, However following the building of
a new Engineering Faculty at the UCD campus in Belfield, the Government
took entire control, and remodelled the entire building for governmental
use.
The previous old Irish Houses of Parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland is
located in College Green.
Famous Dubliners
Writers, composers and philosophers
Samuel Beckett - playwright, novelist, poet.
Brendan Behan - poet, short story writer novelist, playwright.
George Berkeley - empiricist philosopher.
Austin Clarke - poet, novelist, dramatist, etc.
John Field - pianist, composer, wrote the first nocturnes.
Oliver Goldsmith - writer.
James Joyce - author, poet.
Sean O'Casey - playwright, memorist
George Bernard Shaw - playwright.
Bram Stoker - novelist.
John Millington Synge - playwright.
Jonathan Swift - writer, satirist.
William Butler Yeats - poet, playwright.
Oscar Wilde - playwright, author, poet.
Entertainers
Gabriel Byrne - actor.
The Dubliners - folk and ballad group (Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew, Barnie
McKenna, John Sheahan).
Bob Geldof - Boomtown Rats lead singer and Live Aid organiser.
Bono - lead singer with U2 and campaigner on world debt.
Sinead O'Connor - singer.
Gay Byrne - longtime presenter of the Late Late Show, the world's
longest running chat show.
Politicians and Leaders
Theobald Wolfe Tone - revolutionary, leader of the United Irishmen.
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington - soldier, politician, British
Prime Minister.
Sir Edward Carson - leader of Irish unionism and British cabinet
minister.
Patrick Pearse - writer, leader of the Easter Rising.
Sean Lemass - Taoiseach (prime minister) from 1959-1966.
Garret FitzGerald - Taoiseach.
Charles Haughey - Taoiseach.
Bertie Ahern - Taoiseach.
Jim Mitchell - youngest Lord Mayor of Dublin (aged 29) .
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