Introduction
Photograph:The River Liffey, Dublin, with the dome of the Four Courts at right.
* The River Liffey, Dublin, with the dome of the Four Courts at right.
The capital of Ireland, Dublin is the center of the country's economy and culture. The city is located about halfway up the eastern coast of Ireland, at the head of Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea. To the south are the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. The River Liffey flows through the city and into the Irish Sea. The city is named for the Gaelic phrase dubh linn, which means “black pool.” Dublin is also Ireland's chief port.
Places of interest
The Liffey divides Dublin in half. Some of the city's famous buildings face the river. The Four Courts, the seat of Ireland's judicial branch, and the Custom House are excellent examples of Dublin's late–18th-century architecture. The Custom House was burned in 1921 during Ireland's war of independence, and the Four Courts was destroyed in the civil war of 1922. However, both buildings have been rebuilt to look as they once did.
The 13th-century Dublin Castle lies on Cork Hill and is close to the river. The English, who once ruled Ireland, used the castle as their headquarters until 1922. Today Ireland's presidents are sworn in there. Near the castle are Christ Church and Saint Patrick's, two Protestant cathedrals. Christ Church was first built during Dublin's earliest days, when the city was a Viking settlement (between the 9th and 12th centuries). It was rebuilt by invaders from England in the late 12th century. Saint Patrick's Cathedral is Ireland's largest church. It began as a wooden church in the 5th century and was rebuilt in the 12th century. Both cathedrals were restored in the 19th century.
The country's two houses of Parliament meet in Leinster House, an 18th-century mansion. On either side of it are twin Victorian buildings, built in the late 19th century. They house the National Library and National Museum of Ireland. Just to the east is Merrion Square, and Fitzwilliam Square is to the south. Saint Stephen's Green is the largest of the city's squares.
Dublin's Phoenix Park is one of the world's great city parks. It covers nearly 1750 acres (700 hectares) on the north bank of the Liffey. In addition to a castle, lakes, and gardens, the park also has a zoo that is famous for breeding lions. Trinity College was founded in 1592 and is Ireland's oldest university. Its library houses the 9th-century Book of Kells, a famous book of the gospels that was illustrated and decorated with elaborate hand-drawn designs.
People and culture
Dublin is known for its theaters and writers. The National Theatre, which consists of the famous Abbey Theatre and the Peacock Theatre, opened in Dublin early in the 20th century. It was founded in part by the poet and playwright William Butler Yeats. The theater is associated with such well-known Irish writers as Yeats, John Millington Synge, and Sean O'Casey. The old theater burned down in the early 1950s, and a new one opened in 1966.
Many writers are associated with Dublin, notably George Bernard Shaw and James Joyce. The Dublin Writers Museum displays letters, books, and other possessions of Yeats, Shaw, and Joyce, as well as other famous writers.
Economy
Ireland, with Dublin at its center, experienced great economic growth at the beginning of the 21st century. As the financial center of Ireland, Dublin is the headquarters for the Irish Stock Exchange as well as many banks. Most Dubliners work in the services sector, particularly tourism. In fact, tourism is an important part of Dublin's economy. In addition, Dublin is a leading European producer of computer software. Other industries include food products, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
History
From ancient times people have lived in the area around Dublin Bay. The first known settlement, however, was made by the Vikings in the 9th century AD. They fought off most attacks from local Irish groups, and their settlement prospered until 1170. In that year a group of Irish warriors aided by Normans from England drove out the Vikings. The Normans were subjects of King Henry II of England, and after the Vikings left Henry took control of Dublin. The city became the center of English rule over Ireland, though at the time that consisted of only a small strip of land around Dublin.
Religious conflict
In the 16th century the English king Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic church and became the head of the new Protestant Church of England. Dublin backed Henry in this move and became a Protestant city. At the end of the 17th century, the city began to grow as Protestants who were forced out of other countries moved to Dublin. Huguenots from France set up a profitable cloth weaving trade.
During the 18th century, economic success led to further growth. New bridges were put up over the Liffey, and new suburbs arose outside of the city. Dublin soon became the second-largest city of the British Empire.
19th century
In 1801 the Act of Union between England and Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and ended the Irish Parliament. This greatly reduced Dublin's importance, and the city fell into a decline. Then, in 1829 there was an end to laws that had taken away many civil rights from Catholics. Catholic schools and universities were built, and the city elected a Catholic mayor. Suburbs began to grow around the city when railways came to Dublin in 1834. From 1845 to 1851, the potato famine occurred in Ireland. Because people were starving in the countryside, many people fled to Dublin to look for work and food, making the city overcrowded.
Independence and recent history
In the 19th and 20th centuries, rebellions against English rule began to occur. The Irish Free State was finally declared in 1921. However, because there were people who were still loyal to England, the fighting continued until the early 1930s. The city suffered greatly from the violence of those years. After World War II (1939–45), Dublin began again to spread into the surrounding countryside, and more suburbs developed. Tourism became an important part of the economy during this period. Population (1996 estimate), city, 481,850; metropolitan area, 952,690.
