Dublin City is the entire area administered by Dublin City Council. However, when most people talk about Dublin, they also refer to the contiguous suburban areas that run into the adjacent counties of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. This area is sometimes known as "Urban Dublin".

The population within the City (i.e. the administrative area controlled by Dublin City Council) was 505,739 at the census of 2006. Beyond this, at the same census the Dublin Region population was 1,186,159 whilst the Greater Dublin Area had a figure of 1,661,185.

A person from Dublin is known as a Dubliner. Dublin, in a 2003 survey, was found to be the best capital city in Europe to live in, and the Republic of Ireland was also the best country to live in.

Name

The name Dublin is an Anglicism of Dubh Linn (Irish, meaning "black pool"), though some doubt this derivation. Historically, in the old script used for the Irish language, 'bh' was written with a dot placed over the 'b' — thus appearing to be Dub Linn or Dublinn. The Norman-speaking English who arrived in Old Irish-speaking Ireland starting in 1169 omitted the "dot" (or buailte in Irish), and spelled the town's name as 'Dublin'.

Meanwhile, the city's name in Modern Irish — Baile Átha Cliath ("The Town of the Ford of the Reed Hurdles") — actually refers to the settlement, founded in 988 by High King Mael Sechnaill II, which adjoined the town of Dubh Linn proper, at the Black Pool.

Some sources have suggested that "Dublin" is of Scandinavian origin, cf. Icelandic: "djúp lind" ("deep pond"). However, the name "Dubh Linn" pre-dates the arrival of the Vikings in Ireland, and the Old Norse (and modern Icelandic) name for Dublin is simply the words "Dubh Linn" re-spelled as if they were Old Norse: Dyflinn (correctly pronounced "DUEV-linn" - indeed, the letter 'y' is still pronounced like the vowel in "ewe" in Modern Norwegian, Swedish, etc., just as it was in Old Norse; Icelandic, while keeping the spelling, has changed this sound to /i/).

History

The earliest reference to Dublin is in the writings of Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy), the Greek astronomer and cartographer, around the year A.D. 140, who calls it Eblana Civitas. The settlement Dubh Linn dates perhaps as far back as the first century BC; Baile Átha Cliath or simply Áth Cliath was founded in 988 nearby: the two towns eventually became one. The modern city retains the Anglicised Irish name of the former and the original Irish name of the latter. After the Norman invasion of Ireland, Dublin replaced the Hill of Tara as Ireland's capital, with much of the power centring on Dublin Castle until independence. From the 14th century until the late 16th century, Dublin and the surrounding area—known as the Pale—was the only area of Ireland under English government control.

From the 17th century the city expanded rapidly, helped by the Wide Streets Commission. Georgian Dublin was, for a time, the second city of the British Empire after London. Much of Dublin's best architecture dates from this time. 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 city's buildings and moved parliament to Leinster House, but took no bold tasks such as remodelling. After The Emergency (World War 2) Dublin remained a capital out of time, modernisation was slow and finally the 1960s saw change begin. In recent years the infrastructure of Dublin has changed immensely, with enormous private and state development of housing, transport, and business. (See also Development and Preservation in Dublin). Some well-known Dublin street corners are still named for the pub or business which used to occupy the site before closure or redevelopment.

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:

the Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541)
the Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800)
the island as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922)
the Irish Republic (1919–1922)
From 1922, following the partition of Ireland, it served as the capital of the Irish Free State (1922–1937) and now as the capital of the Republic of Ireland. (Many of these states co-existed or competed within the same timeframe as rivals within either British or Irish constitutional theory.)

Climate                                       

Dublin enjoys a maritime temperate climate characterized by mild winters, cool summers, and a lack of temperature extremes. Contrary to popular belief, Dublin does not experience high rainfall with the west of Ireland receiving twice that of the capital city. Dublin has the less rain days, on average, than London. The average maximum January temperature is 7.6°C (45.68°F), the average maximum July temperature is 18.9°C (66.02°F). The sunniest months, on average, are May and June, with 6 hours of sunlight daily (though actual daylight in these months is a lot more). The wettest month, on average, is December, with 76 mm (2.9 inches) of rain. The driest months are February and July, with 50 mm (1.9 inches) of rain. The total average annual rainfall (and other forms of precipitation) is 733 mm (28.8 inches), to the surprise of many this is lower than in Sydney, New York City and even Dallas. Due to Dublin's high latitude it experiences long summer days (sometimes 19 hours of daylight) and short winter days (sometimes as short as 9 hours of daylight). Dublin, like the rest of Ireland, is safe from nearly all common natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tidal waves/tsunamis etc).

Strong winds from Atlantic storm systems can affect Dublin, though usually less severe than other parts of Ireland. Severe winds are most likely during mid-winter, but can occur anytime, especially between October and February inclusive. During one of the stormiest periods of recent times, a gust of 151km/hr (94mph) was recorded at Casement Aerodrome on 24 December 1997.

Dublin has a microclimate, which makes the city a few degrees warmer than surrounding areas. There is also a slight temperature difference between the city centre and the city's suburbs, with the city centre slightly warmer, as it is more built up. There are even slight differences between the city centre and Dublin Airport, just 12 kilometres north.

The city is not noted for its temperature extremes due to its mild climate. The lowest recorded temperature was -12°C (10.4°F). The other extreme was 31°C (88°F), being the highest recorded. The main precipitation in winter is rain. The city can experience some snow showers during the months of November-April inclusive, but lying snow is rare (on average, only 4/5 days of the year). Hail occurs more often than snow, and is most likely during the winter/spring months. Another rare type of weather is thunder and lightning, which is most common around the summer months. Typically, the coldest months in Dublin are December, January and February. However, temperatures in Summer in recent years have been rising to substantially above average figures (e.g. 31°C/88°F recorded in July 2006, over 11°C higher than the maximum average for that month), especially during heat waves in 2003 and 2006.

Multicultural Dublin
Despite having a long tradition of emigration until the early 1990s, Dublin has a sizeable number of immigrants especially from the United Kingdom, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and continental Europe. More recently Dublin has also attracted significant Nigerian, Chinese, Korean, Indian, and Eastern European populations, largely attracted by Ireland's economic success since the mid-1990s.

Education

Dublin is the primary centre of education in Ireland, with three universities and several other higher education institutions. The University of Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland dating from the 16th Century. Its sole constituent college, Trinity College, was established by Royal Charter under Elizabeth I and closed to Roman Catholics until Catholic Emancipation. The National University of Ireland has its seat in Dublin which is also the location of the associated constituent university of University College Dublin (UCD), the largest university in Ireland; although it is located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, just outside the city of Dublin boundary. Dublin City University (DCU) is the most recent university created in Dublin and specialises in business, engineering, and science courses, particularly with relevance to industry. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is an independent medical school located on St. Stephen's Green in the city centre. The National University of Ireland, Maynooth, another constituent university of the NUI, is located about 25 km from Dublin.

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is a modern technical college and is the country's largest non-university third level institution; it specialises in technical subjects but also offers many arts and humanities courses. It is soon to move to a new campus at Grangegorman. Two suburbs of Dublin, Tallaght and Blanchardstown have respective Institutes of Technology to cater for the local population ( Institute of Technology, Tallaght) (Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown). The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (DLIADT) support training and research in art, design and media technology.

There are also various other smaller specialised colleges, including private ones, in the city. Examples include The Gaiety School of Acting which hosts a two year intensive degree in acting, and Griffith College Dublin, which is the largest independent institute of third level education in the country, and located in the old Griffith Barracks.

Exhibitions

1853 - Great Industrial Exhibition (1853)
1865 - International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures (1865)
1874 - International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures (1874)

Northside and Southside

Traditionally, a north south division has existed in Dublin with the dividing line provided by the River Liffey. The Northside is generally seen as working-class, while the Southside is seen as middle and upper middle class. Dublin postal districts reflect the North/South divide, with odd numbers being used for districts on the Northside, e.g: Phibsboro is in Dublin 7, 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. When asked why he was building on the South Side, he replied "Where I go, fashion follows me", and indeed he was promptly followed by most other Irish peers.    

The Northside/Southside divide is punctuated by examples of Dublin "sub-culture" stereotypes, with upper-middle class constituents seen as tending towards an accent and demeanour synonymous with (but not exclusive to) the D4 postcode on the Southside (see Dublin 4, Ross O'Carroll-Kelly), and working-class Dubliners seen as tending towards accents and demeanour associated with (but not exclusive to) Northside and inner-city Dublin neighbourhoods. (see Scanger)

This simplification of economic and social communities in Dublin ("southside rich, liberal and snobby"/"northside poor, industrial and common") does not survive more than a few real-world examples however. For example, the President of Ireland's residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, is on the Northside, although its postal district is D8, a Southside number. Similarly, some of Dublin's working-class suburbs such as Tallaght, Crumlin, and Ballyfermot are in fact located south of the river and five wealthy suburbs, Clontarf, Howth, Malahide, Portmarnock and Castleknock are found on the Northside.

The north-south divide has mellowed considerably in the past number of years. This is primarily due to the favourable economic conditions currently in Ireland and the emergence of the Celtic Tiger economy in Ireland. Correspondly, Dublin has progressed to become one of the wealthiest cities in Europe.

The economic divide in Dublin is east-west as well as north-south (the east side of the city generally being wealthier than the west side, although this too is only a rough guide). There are significant social divisions evident between the coastal suburbs in the east of the city, including those on the northside, and the newer developments further to the west. In reality, however, colloquial usage by natives of Dublin has the River Liffey constitute the socio-economic boundary.

In 2006, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Dublin as the 16th most expensive city in the world, and the Mercer World-wide quality of living survey rated Dublin as the city with the 24th best quality of life in the world.

Sport

The headquarters of almost all of Ireland's sporting organisations are located in Dublin. Croke Park, an 82,500-capacity stadium near Drumcondra, is the base of the Gaelic Athletic Association and hosts Gaelic Football and Hurling games during the summer months and on St. Patrick's Day, and International rules football in alternating years. The Dublin branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association play their league games at Parnell Park.

Lansdowne Road is a 48,000 capacity stadium owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and is also the venue for home games of the Republic's national football (soccer) team.

Dalymount Park, in Phibsboro and the traditional Home of Irish Soccer, is now used only for home games of local club Bohemian FC. Rivals Shelbourne FC play at Tolka Park, in Drumcondra, while St Patrick's Athletic play in Richmond Park in Inchicore on the south west edge of the city. Shamrock Rovers are originally from Milltown but have spent the last two decades in search of a home, and hope to complete a new stadium in Tallaght sometime in 2006. The other senior soccer clubs are University College Dublin F.C., based in Belfield, and the now defunct Dublin City F.C. (formerly Home Farm F.C.).

The National Aquatic Centre, located in Blanchardstown, is the first building to open in the Sports Campus Ireland. There are several race courses in the Dublin area including Shelbourne Park (Greyhound racing) and Leopardstown (Horse racing). The world famous Dublin Horse Show at the RDS, Ballsbridge, which hosted the Show Jumping World Championships in 1982. There are also Basketball, Handball, Hockey and Athletics stadia within the city - most notably Morton Stadium in Santry, which held the athletics events of the 2003 Special Olympics.

The Dublin Marathon has been run in the city since 1980.

Entertainment         

There is a vibrant night life in Dublin — the most internationally notorious area for these activities is the Temple Bar area south of the Liffey. This area has become synonymous with stag and hen parties and tourists, causing many locals to steer clear of the area. Temple Bar was, however, originally redeveloped as Dublin's cultural quarter and retains part of this spirit in the form of street performers, drummers, and many intimate small music venues.

There are several theatres within the city centre, the largest of which include the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre, the Olympia Theatre, and the Gaiety Theatre, which opens its doors after the evening theatre production to host a variety of live music, dancing, and films. The Gaiety's bars are open later than any others in the city. The largest theatre in the city is the Mahony Hall in The Helix at Dublin City University in Glasnevin.

There are two large cinemas in the city centre; The Savoy Cinema and the Cineworld Cinema are located north of the Liffey. Alternative and special-interest cinema can be found in the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, and in the Screen Cinema on d'Olier St. Numerous larger cinemas can be found in the city's suburbs.

Government

City        

The 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. Dublin City Council is based in two major buildings. Council meetings take place in the headquarters at 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 on Wood Quay.

The City Council is a unicameral assembly made up of 52 members. These members are elected every five years from Local Election Areas. The party with the majority of seats decides who sits on what committee, what policies are followed, and who becomes Lord Mayor. Chaired by the Lord Mayor, the Council passes an annual budget for spending on housing, traffic management, refuse, drainage, planning, etc. The Dublin City Manager is responsible for the implementation of decisions of the City Council.

National

The national parliament of the Republic of Ireland (called the Oireachtas) consists of the President of Ireland and two houses, Dáil Éireann (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 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 Government Buildings, a large building designed by Sir 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 Faculty of Engineering of University College Dublin, which retained use of the central block of the building, However following the building of a new Faculty of Engineering on the University College Dublin 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.

Economy & Infrastructure

Communications & Media

Dublin is the centre of both media and communications in Ireland, with many newspapers, radio stations, television stations and telephone companies having their headquarters there. Radio Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) is Ireland's national state broadcaster, and has its main offices and studios in Donnybrook, Dublin. Fair City is the broadcaster's capital-based soap, located in the fictional Dublin suburb of Carraigstown. TV3, Channel 6, City Channel, Sky News Ireland and Setanta Sports are also based in Dublin. The main infrastructure and offices of An Post and the former state telephone company Eircom, as well as Vodafone and O2 are located in the capital. Dublin is also the headquarters of important national newspapers such as The Irish Times and Irish Independent.

Transport

Dublin is at the centre of Ireland's transport system. Dublin Port is the country's most important sea port. Dublin Airport is the busiest airport by far on the island, registering nearly 19 million passengers in 2005, making it the 14th busiest airport in Europe with the capital's airport offering onward flights to other airports in Ireland, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Heuston Station and Connolly Station are the city's major railway stations, Heuston connects with the towns and cities in the south and west of the Republic while Connolly serves the Sligo, Wexford and Belfast routes.