Obedientia Civium Urbis Felicitas "The obedience of the citizens produces a happy city"[1][2] Alternatively translated as "An obedient citizenry produces a happy city"[3]
The Middle Irish pronunciation is preserved in the names for the city in other languages such asOld EnglishDifelin,Old NorseDyflin, modernIcelandicDyflinn and modernManxDivlyn as well asWelshDulyn andBretonDulenn. Other localities in Ireland also bear the nameDuibhlinn, variously anglicised as Devlin,[21] Divlin[22] and Difflin.[23] Variations on the name are also found in traditionally Gaelic-speaking areas ofScotland, such asAn Linne Dhubh ("the black pool"), which is part ofLoch Linnhe.
The Viking settlement was preceded by a Christian ecclesiastical settlement known asDuibhlinn, from whichDyflin took its name.[24] Beginning in the 9th and 10th centuries, there were two settlements where the modern city stands. The Viking settlement of about 841,Dyflin, and a Gaelic settlement, Áth Cliath ("ford of hurdles")[25] further up the river, at the present-dayFather Mathew Bridge, also known as Dublin Bridge, at the bottom of Church Street.
Baile Átha Cliath, meaning "town of the hurdledford", is the common name for the city in Modern Irish, which is often contracted toBleá Cliath orBlea Cliath when spoken.[26]Áth Cliath is a place name referring to a fording point of the River Liffey near Father Mathew Bridge.Baile Átha Cliath was an early Christian monastery, believed to have been in the area of Aungier Street, currently occupied byWhitefriar Street Carmelite Church.
The area ofDublin Bay has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. Fish traps discovered from excavations during the construction of theConvention Centre Dublin indicate human habitation as far back as 6,000 years ago. Further traps were discovered closer to the old settlement of the city of Dublin on thesouth quays nearSt. James's Gate, which indicatemesolithic human activity.[27][28]
Dublin celebrated its 'official' millennium in 1988, meaning the Irish government recognised 988 as the year in which the city was settled and that this first settlement would later become the city of Dublin.[30]
The Viking settlement of about 841 was preceded by a Christian ecclesiastical settlement known asDuibhlinn, from whichDyflin took its name.[31] Evidence indicating that Anglo-Saxons occupied Dublin before the Vikings arrived in 841 has been found in an archaeological dig inTemple Bar.[32]
Beginning in the 9th and 10th centuries, there were two settlements which later became modern Dublin. The subsequent Scandinavian settlement centred on theRiver Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey in an area now known asWood Quay. The Dubhlinn was a pool on the lowest stretch of the Poddle, where ships used to moor. This pool was finally fully infilled during the early 18th century, as the city grew. The Dubhlinn lay where the Castle Garden is now located, opposite theChester Beatty Library withinDublin Castle.Táin Bó Cuailgne ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") refers toDublind rissa ratter Áth Cliath, meaning "Dublin, which is called Ath Cliath".
In 841, theVikings established a fortified base in Dublin.[33] The town grew into a substantial commercial center underOlaf Guthfrithson in the mid-to-late 10th century[34] and, despite a number of attacks by the native Irish, it remained largely under Viking control until theNorman invasion of Ireland was launched from Wales in 1169.[35][36] Thehinterland of Dublin in the Norse period was named inOld Norse:Dyflinnar skíði,lit. 'Dublinshire'.[37]: 24 It was upon the death ofMuirchertach Mac Lochlainn in early 1166 thatRuaidrí Ua Conchobair,King of Connacht, proceeded to Dublin and was inauguratedKing of Ireland without opposition.
According to some historians, part of the city's early economic growth is attributed to a trade in slaves.[38]Slavery in Ireland and Dublin reached its pinnacle in the 9th and 10th centuries.[39] Prisoners from slave raids and kidnappings, which captured men, women and children, brought revenue to the Gaelic Irish Sea raiders, and to the Vikings who had initiated the practice.[40] The victims came fromWales, England, Normandy and beyond.[38]
The King of Leinster,Diarmait Mac Murchada, after his exile by Ruaidhrí, enlisted the help ofStrongbow, the Earl of Pembroke, to conquer Dublin. Following Mac Murchada's death, Strongbow declared himself King of Leinster after gaining control of the city. In response to Strongbow's successful invasion,Henry II of England affirmed his ultimate sovereignty by mounting a larger invasion in 1171 and pronounced himselfLord of Ireland.[41] Around this time, thecounty of the City of Dublin was established along with certain liberties adjacent to the city proper. This continued down to 1840 when thebarony of Dublin City was separated from thebarony of Dublin. Since 2001, both baronies have been redesignated as theCity of Dublin.
Dublin Castle, which became the centre of Anglo-Norman power in Ireland, was founded in 1204 as a major defensive work on the orders of KingJohn of England.[42] Following the appointment of the firstLord Mayor of Dublin in 1229, the city expanded and had a population of 8,000 by the end of the 13th century. Dublin prospered as a trade centre, despite an attempt by KingRobert the Bruce of Scotland to capture the city in 1317.[41] It remained a relatively small walled medieval town during the 14th century and was under constant threat from the surrounding native clans. In 1348, theBlack Death, a lethal plague which had ravaged Europe, took hold in Dublin and killed thousands over the following decade.[43][44]
Dubline, 1610; a contemporary map by John Speed (1896 reprint)
Dublin was the heart of the area known asthe Pale, a narrow strip of English settlement along the eastern coast, under the control of theEnglish Crown. TheTudor conquest of Ireland in the 16th century spelt a new era for Dublin, with the city enjoying a renewed prominence as the centre of administrative rule in Ireland where English control and settlement had become much more extensive. Determined to make Dublin a Protestant city, QueenElizabeth I establishedTrinity College in 1592 as a solely Protestant university and ordered that the CatholicSt. Patrick's andChrist Church cathedrals be converted to the Protestant church. The earliest map of the city of Dublin isJohn Speed's Map of Dublin (1610).[45]
The city had a population of 21,000 in 1640 before a plague from 1649 to 1651 wiped out almost half of the inhabitants. However, the city prospered again soon after as a result of the wool and linen trade with England and reached a population of over 50,000 in 1700.[46] By 1698 the manufacture of wool employed 12,000 people.[47]
As the city continued to prosper during the 18th century,Georgian Dublin became, for a short period, the second-largest city of theBritish Empire and the fifth largest city in Europe, with the population exceeding 130,000. While some medieval streets and layouts (including the areas aroundTemple Bar, Aungier Street, Capel Street and Thomas Street) were less affected by the wave of Georgian reconstruction, much of Dublin's architecture and layout dates from this period.[48][49][50]
Dublin grew even more dramatically during the 18th century, with the construction of many new districts and buildings, such asMerrion Square,Parliament House and theRoyal Exchange. TheWide Streets Commission was established in 1757 at the request ofDublin Corporation to govern architectural standards on the layout of streets, bridges and buildings.[51] In 1759, theGuinness brewery was founded, and would eventually grow to become the largest brewery in the world and the largest employer in Dublin.[52][53] During the 1700s, linen was not subject to the same trade restrictions with England as wool, and became the most important Irish export. Over 1.5 million yards of linen was exported from Ireland in 1710, rising to almost 19 million yards by 1779.[54]
Dublin suffered a period of political and economic decline during the 19th century following theActs of Union 1800, under which the seat of government was transferred to theWestminster Parliament in London. The city played no major role in theIndustrial Revolution, but remained the centre of administration and a transport hub for most of the island. Ireland had no significant sources of coal, the fuel of the time, and Dublin was not a centre of ship manufacturing, the other main driver of industrial development in Britain and Ireland.[35]Belfast developed faster than Dublin during this period on a mixture of international trade, factory-based linen cloth production and shipbuilding.[55] By 1814, the population of Dublin was 175,319 as counted under the Population Act, making the population of Dublin higher than any town in England except London.[56] The population had reached 233,159 inhabitants by the time of the 1841 census.[57]
Damage in Dublin city centre following the 1916Easter Rising with the ruins of the GPO to the left
Dublin was also a victim of the Northern IrishTroubles, although during this 30-year conflict, violence mainly occurred within Northern Ireland. A Loyalist paramilitary group, theUlster Volunteer Force, bombed the city during this time – notably in an atrocity known as theDublin and Monaghan bombings in which 34 people died, mainly in central Dublin.
Large parts of Georgian Dublin were demolished or substantially redeveloped in the mid-20th century during a boom in office building. After this boom, the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s slowed down the pace of building. Cumulatively, this led to a large decline in the number of people living in the centre of the city, and by 1985 the city had approximately 150 acres of derelict land which had been earmarked for development and 10 million square feet (900 thousand square metres) of office space.[58]
Since 1997, the landscape of Dublin has changed. The city was at the forefront of Ireland's economic expansion during theCeltic Tiger period, with private sector and state development of housing, transport and business. Following an economic decline during the Great Recession, Dublin has rebounded and as of 2017[update] has close to full employment,[59] but has a significant problem with housing supply in both the city and surrounds.[60]
Dublin City Council is aunicameral assembly of 63 members elected every five years fromlocal electoral areas.[61] It is presided over by theLord Mayor, who is elected for a yearly term and resides in Dublin'sMansion House. Council meetings occur atDublin City Hall, while most of its administrative activities are based in the Civic Offices onWood Quay. The party or coalition of parties with the majority of seats assigns committee members, introduces policies, and proposes the Lord Mayor. The Council passes an annual budget for spending on areas such as housing, traffic management, refuse, drainage, and planning. The Dublin City Manager is responsible for implementing City Council decisions but also has considerable executive power. Neighbouring local authorities in the traditional County Dublin areSouth Dublin County Council,Fingal County Council andDun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and parts of the wider city lie in the functional areas of all three.[62]
Government Buildings house theDepartment of the Taoiseach, the Council Chamber, the Department of Finance and theOffice of the Attorney General. It consists of a main building (completed 1911) with two wings (completed 1921). It was designed by Thomas Manley Dean and SirAston Webb as theRoyal College of Science. TheFirst Dáil originally met in theMansion House in 1919. The Irish Free State government took over the two wings of the building to serve as a temporary home for some ministries, while the central building became the College of Technology until 1989.[63] Although both it and Leinster House were intended to be temporary locations, they became the permanent homes of parliament from then on.
Dublin is situated at the mouth of theRiver Liffey and its urban area encompasses approximately 345 square kilometres (133 sq mi) in east-central Ireland. It is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range and sub range of theWicklow Mountains, to the south and surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west.[66]
The River Liffey divides the city in two, between the Northside and the Southside. The Liffey bends atLeixlip from a northeasterly route to a predominantly eastward direction, and this point also marks the transition to urban development from more agricultural land usage.[67] The city itself was founded where theRiver Poddle met the Liffey, and the early Viking settlement was also facilitated by the smallSteine or Steyne River, the larger Camac[68] and the Bradogue,[69] in particular.
Two secondary rivers further divide the city: theRiver Tolka, running southeast into Dublin Bay, and theRiver Dodder running northeast to near the mouth of the Liffey, and these and the Liffey have multiple tributaries. A number of lesser rivers and streams also flow to the sea within the suburban parts of the city.[70]
Two canals – theGrand Canal on the southside and theRoyal Canal on the northside – ring the inner city on their way from the west, both connecting with theRiver Shannon.
Similar to much of the rest of northwestern Europe, Dublin has amaritime climate (Cfb) with mild-warm summers, cool winters, and a lack of temperature extremes. AtMerrion Square, the coldest month is February, with an average minimum temperature of 4.1 °C (39.4 °F). The warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of 20.1 °C (68.2 °F). Due to theurban heat island effect, Dublin city has the warmest summertime nights in Ireland. The average minimum temperature at Merrion Square in July is 13.5 °C (56.3 °F). The lowest July temperature ever recorded at the station was 7.8 °C (46.0 °F) on 3 July 1974.[71]
The highest temperature officially recorded in Dublin is 33.1 °C (91.6 °F) on 18 July 2022, at thePhoenix Park. A non-official record of 33.5 °C (92.3 °F) was recorded at Phoenix Park in July 1876.[72]
Dublin's sheltered location on the east coast makes it the driest place in Ireland, receiving only about half the rainfall of the west coast.Ringsend in the south of the city records the lowest rainfall in the country, with an average annual precipitation of 683 mm (27 in).[73] The average annual precipitation in the city centre is 726 mm (29 in). At Merrion Square, the wettest year and driest year on record occurred within 5 years of each other. 1953 receiving just 463.1 mm (18.23 in) of rainfall, while 1958 recorded 1,022.5 mm (40.26 in).[71] The main precipitation in winter is rain. Snow showers occur between November and March. Hail is more common than snow. Strong Atlantic winds are most common in autumn. These winds can affect Dublin, but due to its easterly location, it is least affected compared to other parts of the country. In winter, easterly winds render the city colder and more prone to snow showers.
Dublin has long summer days and short winter days. Based on satellite observations,Met Éireann estimates that Dublin's coastal areas typically receive over 1,600 hours of sunshine per year,[74] with the climate getting progressively duller inland. Dublin airport, located north of the city and about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the coast, records an average of 1,485 hours of sunshine per year. The station at Dublin airport has been maintaining climate records since November 1941. The sunniest year on record was 1,740 hours in 1959. The dullest year was 1987 with 1,240 hours of sunshine. The lowest amount of monthly sunshine on record was 16.4 hours in January 1996. The highest was 305.9 hours in July 1955.[75]
In the 20th century, smog and air-pollution were an issue in the city, precipitating a ban on bituminous fuels across Dublin.[76][77] The ban was implemented in 1990 to address black smoke concentrations, that had been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory deaths in residents. Since the ban, non-trauma death rates, respiratory death rates and cardiovascular death rates have declined – by an estimated 350 deaths annually.[78][77]
Climate data for Dublin Airport (DUB),[b] 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1881–present[c]
Source 2:NOAA(dew point)[84] WeatherAtlas (Daylight hours and UV Index)[85]
^Ethnicity within the Dublin City Council local authority
^Weather station is located 8.2 kilometres (5.1 mi) from the Dublin city centre.
^Extremes are recorded at multiple stations near Dublin, including Dublin Airport, Casement, Phoenix Park, Merrion Square, Glasnevin, Peamount and Trinity College.
Climate data forMerrion Square, Dublin, (1991–2020), elevation: 13 m (43 ft)
Victorian-era buildings, such as theGeorge's Street Arcade, are common in the south inner city.
In some tourism and real-estate marketing contexts, inner Dublin is sometimes divided into a number of quarters.[89][90] These include the Medieval Quarter (in the area ofDublin Castle,Christ Church andSt Patrick's Cathedral and the old city walls),[91] the Georgian Quarter (including the area around St Stephen's Green, Trinity College, andMerrion Square), the Docklands Quarter (around theDublin Docklands andSilicon Docks), the Cultural Quarter (aroundTemple Bar), and Creative Quarter (between South William Street and George's Street).[92]
Starting in the late 2010s, there was a significant amount of high density residential developments in the suburbs of Dublin,[93] with mid to high-rise apartments being built in Sandyford,[94]Ashtown,[95] and Tallaght.[96]
A north–south division once, to some extent, traditionally existed, with the River Liffey as the divider.[97] The southside was, in recent times, generally seen as being more affluent and genteel than the northside.[97] There have also been some social divisions evident between the coastal suburbs in the east of the city, and the newer developments further to the west.[98][99]
Dublin has many landmarks and monuments dating back hundreds of years. One of the oldest isDublin Castle, which was first founded as a major defensive work on the orders of England'sKing John in 1204, shortly after theNorman invasion of Ireland in 1169, when it was commanded that a castle be built with strong walls and good ditches for the defence of the city, the administration of justice, and the protection of the King's treasure.[100] Largely complete by 1230, the castle was of typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square without akeep, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. Sited to the south-east of Norman Dublin, the castle formed one corner of the outer perimeter of the city, using theRiver Poddle as a natural means of defence.
One of Dublin's most prominent landmarks is theSpire of Dublin, officially entitled the "Monument of Light".[101] It is a 121.2-metre (398 ft) conical spire made of stainless steel, completed in 2003 and located onO'Connell Street, where it meets Henry Street and North Earl Street. It replacedNelson's Pillar and is intended to mark Dublin's place in the 21st century. The spire was designed byIan Ritchie Architects,[102] who sought an "Elegant and dynamic simplicity bridging art and technology". The base of the monument is lit and the top is illuminated to provide a beacon in the night sky across the city.
The Old Library ofTrinity College Dublin, holding theBook of Kells, is one of the city's most visited sites.[103] The Book of Kells is an illustrated manuscript created by Irish monks circa 800 AD. TheHa'penny Bridge, an iron footbridge over the River Liffey, is one of the most photographed sights in Dublin and is considered to be one of Dublin's most iconic landmarks.[104]
There are 302 parks and 66 green spaces within theDublin City Council area as of 2018,[citation needed] with the council managing over 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of parks.[105] Public parks include thePhoenix Park,Herbert Park,St Stephen's Green,Saint Anne's Park andBull Island. The Phoenix Park is about 3 km (2 miles) west of the city centre, north of theRiver Liffey. Its 16-kilometre (10 mi) perimeter wall encloses 707 hectares (1,750 acres), making it one of the largest walled city parks in Europe.[106] It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the 17th century has been home to a herd of wildfallow deer. The residence of thePresident of Ireland (Áras an Uachtaráin), which was built in 1751,[107] is located in the park. The park is also home toDublin Zoo,Ashtown Castle, and the official residence of theUnited States Ambassador. Music concerts are also sometimes held in the park.
St Stephen's Green is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets,Grafton Street, and toa shopping centre named after it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies.
Saint Anne's Park is a public park and recreational facility, shared betweenRaheny andClontarf, both suburbs on the Northside. The park, the second largest municipal park in Dublin, is part of a former 2-square-kilometre (0.8 sq mi; 500-acre) estate assembled by members of theGuinness family, beginning withBenjamin Lee Guinness in 1835. The largest municipal park is adjacent (North)Bull Island, also shared between Clontarf and Raheny, featuring a 5 km beach, Dollymount Strand.
From 1842, the boundaries of the city were comprehended by thebaronies of Dublin City and the barony ofDublin. Over time, the city has absorbed area previously administered as part of County Dublin (now the three counties of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin), with a change in 1985 also returning areas to the county.
The Dublin region is the economic centre of Ireland, and was at the forefront of the country's economic expansion during theCeltic Tiger period. In 2009, Dublin was listed as the fourth richest city in the world bypurchasing power and 10th richest by personal income.[116][117] According toMercer's 2011 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Dublin was the 13th most expensive city in theEuropean Union (down from 10th in 2010) and the 58th most expensive place to live in the world (down from 42nd in 2010).[118] As of 2017[update], approximately 874,400 people were employed in theGreater Dublin Area. Around 60% of people who are employed in Ireland's financial, ICT, and professional sectors are located in this area.[119]
A number of Dublin's traditional industries, such as food processing, textile manufacturing, brewing, and distilling have gradually declined, althoughGuinness has been brewed at theSt. James's Gate Brewery since 1759. Economic improvements in the 1990s attracted a number of global pharmaceutical, information and communications technology companies to the city and Greater Dublin Area. Companies such asMicrosoft,Google,Amazon,eBay,PayPal,Yahoo!,Facebook,X,Accenture,TikTok andPfizer now have European headquarters or operational bases in the city with several located in enterprise clusters like theDigital Hub andSilicon Docks. The presence of these companies has driven economic expansion in the city and led to Dublin sometimes being referred to as the "Tech Capital of Europe".[59]
Financial services have also become important to the city since the establishment of Dublin'sInternational Financial Services Centre in 1987. More than 500 operations are approved to trade under the IFSC programme. The centre is host to half of the world's top 50 banks and to half of the top 20 insurance companies.[120] Many international firms have established major headquarters in the city, such asCitibank. TheIrish Stock Exchange (ISEQ),Internet Neutral Exchange (INEX) and Irish Enterprise Exchange (IEX) are also located in Dublin. Dublin has been positioned as one of the main cities vying to host Financial Services companies hoping to retain access to the Eurozone afterBrexit. The Celtic Tiger also led to a temporary boom in construction, with large redevelopment projects in theDublin Docklands andSpencer Dock. Completed projects include theConvention Centre, the3Arena, and theBord Gáis Energy Theatre.
In the second quarter of 2018, Dublin touched its lowest unemployment rate in a decade, when it fell down to 5.7% as reported by the Dublin Economic Monitor.[121][122] In November 2022, Dublin was ranked as one of the worst cities in the world for travel, health and cost of living.[123] On 24 September 2022, thousands took to the streets in protest against the cost of living crisis.[124]
The road network in Ireland is primarily focused on Dublin. TheM50 motorway, a semi-ring road which runs around the south, west and north of the city, connects important national primary routes to the rest of the country. In 2008, theWest-Link toll bridge was replaced by theeFlow barrier-free tolling system, with a three-tiered charge system based on electronic tags and car pre-registration.[125]
The first phase of a proposed eastern bypass for the city is theDublin Port Tunnel, which officially opened in 2006 to mainly cater for heavy vehicles. The tunnel connectsDublin Port and theM1 motorway close to Dublin Airport. The city is also surrounded by an inner and outer orbital route. The inner orbital route runs approximately around the heart of the Georgian city and the outer orbital route runs primarily along the natural circle formed by Dublin's two canals, theGrand Canal and theRoyal Canal, as well as the North and South Circular Roads.
The 2016TomTom Traffic Index ranked Dublin the 15th most congested city in the world and the 7th most congested in Europe.[126][127]
Dublin is served by a network of nearly 200 bus routes which cover the city and suburbs. The majority of these are provided byDublin Bus, with a modest number having been transferred to Go Ahead Ireland since 2018. A number of smaller companies also operate. Fares are generally calculated on a stage system based on distance travelled. There are several different levels of fares, which apply on most services. A "Real Time Passenger Information" system was introduced at Dublin Bus bus stops in 2012 in which signs relay display the projected time of the next buses' arrival based on its GPS position. TheNational Transport Authority is responsible for integration of bus and rail services in Dublin and has been involved in introducing a pre-paid smart card, called aTFI Leap Card, which can be used on all of Dublin's public transport services.[128]
TheBusConnects programme includes a number of proposed improvements to Dublin's bus network, including new spine and orbital routes. The spine routes are intended to increase the frequency of buses along major corridors, and the orbital routes aim to "provide connections between suburbs and town centres, without having to travel into the City Centre".[129] In 2022, Dublin Bus began the process of electrifying its fleet with newbattery-powered buses, with plans for 85% of Dublin buses to be zero-emission by 2032.[130]
The2011 census indicated that 5.9% of commuters in Dublin cycled. A 2013 report by Dublin City Council on traffic flows crossing the canals in and out of the city found that just under 10% of all traffic was made up of cyclists, representing an increase of 14.1% over 2012 and an 87.2% increase over 2006 levels. The increase was attributed to measures such as the Dublinbikes bike rental scheme, the provision of cycle lanes, public awareness campaigns to promote cycling and the introduction of the 30 km/h city centre speed limit.[131]
Dublin City Council began installing cycle lanes and tracks throughout the city in the 1990s, and as of 2012[update] the city had over 200 kilometres (120 miles) of specific on- and off-road tracks for cyclists.[132] In 2011, the city was ranked 9th of major world cities on theCopenhagenize Index of Bicycle-Friendly Cities.[133] The same index showed a fall to 15th in 2015,[134] and Dublin was outside the top 20 in 2017.[135]
Dublinbikes is aself-service bicycle rental scheme which has been in operation in Dublin since 2009. Sponsored byJCDecaux andJust Eat, the scheme consists of hundreds of unisex bicycles stationed at 44 terminals throughout the city centre. Users must make a subscription for either an annual Long Term Hire Card or purchase a three-day ticket.[136] As of 2018[update], Dublinbikes had over 66,000 long-term subscribers making over 2 million journeys per year.[137][138]
Heuston andConnolly stations are the two main railway termini in Dublin. Operated byIarnród Éireann, theDublin Suburban Rail network consists of five railway lines serving the Greater Dublin Area and commuter towns such asDrogheda andDundalk in County Louth,Gorey inCounty Wexford, and extending as far asPortlaoise in County Laois, and once a day toNewry. One of the five lines is the electrifiedDublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) line, which runs primarily along the coast of Dublin, comprising 31 stations, fromMalahide andHowth southwards as far asBray andGreystones in County Wicklow.[139]Commuter rail operates on the other four lines using Irish Raildiesel multiple units. In 2013, passengers for DART and Dublin Suburban lines were 16 million and 11.7 million, respectively (around 75% of all Irish Rail passengers).[140]
Dublin once had an extensive system oftrams but this was largely phased out by 1949. A newlight rail system, often described as a tram system, theLuas, was launched in 2004, and is run byTransdev Ireland (under contract fromTransport Infrastructure Ireland), carrying over 34 million passengers annually.[141] The network consists of two interconnecting lines; theRed Line links theDocklands and city centre with the south-western suburbs ofTallaght andSaggart, while theGreen Line connects northern inner city suburbs and the main city centre with suburbs to the south of the city includingSandyford andBrides Glen, mostly along the former route of theHarcourt Street railway line. Together these lines comprise a total 67 stops and 44.5 kilometres (27.7 mi) of track.[141] Construction of a 6 km extension to the Green Line, bringing it into the north of the city, commenced in June 2013 and was opened for passenger travel on 9 December 2017.[142]
Dublin Airport (owned and operated byDAA) is located north of Dublin city, nearSwords in the administrative county ofFingal. The headquarters of Ireland's flag carrierAer Lingus and regional airlineCityJet are located there, and those of low-cost carrierRyanair nearby. The airport offers a short and medium-haul network, domestic services to regional airports in Ireland, and long-haul services to the United States, Canada, and the Middle East. Dublin Airport is the 11th busiest in the European Union,[145] and by far the busiest airport on the island of Ireland.
In 2015 and 2016, transatlantic traffic grew, with 158 summer flights a week to North America, making it the sixth largest European hub for that route over the year.[146] Transatlantic traffic was also the fastest-growing segment of the market for the airport in 2016, in which a 16% increase from 2015 brought the yearly number of passengers travelling between Dublin and North America to 2.9 million.[147]
From 2010 to 2016, Dublin Airport saw an increase of nearly 9.5 million passengers in its annual traffic,[147] as the number of commercial aircraft movements has similarly followed a growth trend from 163,703 in 2013 to 191,233 in 2015.[148]
In 2019, Dublin Airport was the 12th busiest airport in Europe, with almost 33 million passengers passing through the airport.
Dublin is also served byWeston Airport and other small facilities, by a range of helicopter operators, and the military and some State services useCasement Aerodrome nearby.
Dublin is the largest centre of education in Ireland, and is home to four universities and a number of other higher education institutions. It was the European Capital of Science in 2012.[149][150]
TheUniversity of Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland, dating from the 16th century, and is located in the city centre. Its sole constituent college,Trinity College (TCD), was established byRoyal Charter in 1592 underElizabeth I. It was closed to Roman Catholics until 1793, and theCatholic hierarchy then banned Roman Catholics from attending until 1970.[151] It is situated in the city centre, on College Green, and has over 18,000 students.[152]
TheNational University of Ireland (NUI) has its seat in Dublin, which is also the location of the associatedconstituent university ofUniversity College Dublin (UCD), which has over 30,000 students. Founded in 1854, it is now the largest university in Ireland[153]. UCD's main campus is at Belfield, about 5 km (3 mi) from the city centre, in the southeastern suburbs.
As of 2019, Dublin's principal, and Ireland's largest, institution for technological education and research,Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), with origins in 1887, has merged with two major suburban third level institutions,Institute of Technology, Tallaght andInstitute of Technology, Blanchardstown, to formTechnological University Dublin, Ireland's second largest university by student population. The new university offers a wide range of courses in areas include engineering, architecture, the sciences, health, journalism, digital media, hospitality, business, art and design, music and the humanities programmes, and has three long-term campuses, atGrangegorman, Tallaght and Blanchardstown.
TheInstitute of International and European Affairs is also in Dublin.Dublin Business School (DBS) is Ireland's largest private third level institution with over 9,000 students located on Aungier Street, andGriffith College Dublin has its main facility in Portobello. There are also smaller specialised colleges, includingThe Gaiety School of Acting. The Irish public administration and management training centre has its base in Dublin, the Institute of Public Administration provides a range of undergraduate and post graduate awards via the National University of Ireland and in some instances, Queen's University Belfast.
The suburban town of Dún Laoghaire is home to theDún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), which supports training and research in art, design, business, psychology and media technology. Dublin joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2019.[156]
In the2022 census, the population of the City of Dublin was 592,713.[6] The population of Dublin city and suburbs was 1,263,219.[14] County Dublin had a population of 1,458,154.[173] The population of the Greater Dublin Area was 2,082,605.[174][175]
Of the population of Dublin city and its suburbs, 62.9% (794,925) were born in Dublin, 26.6% (336,021) were born outside of Ireland, while the remaining 10.5% (132,273) were born in a county other than Dublin.[176]
AfterWorld War II, Italians were by far the largest immigrant group in both Dublin and Ireland, and became synonymous with the catering and restaurant landscape.[177][178] Since the late 1990s, Dublin has had a significant level of net immigration, with the greatest numbers coming from the European Union, especially the United Kingdom, Poland and Lithuania.[179] There is also immigration from outside Europe, including from Pakistan, Brazil, the Philippines, China, India and Nigeria. Dublin is home to a greater proportion of newer arrivals than any other part of Ireland. Sixty percent of Ireland's Asian population lives in Dublin.[180]
Dublin attracts the largest proportion of non-Catholic migrants from other countries. Increased secularisation in Ireland has prompted a drop in regular Catholic church attendance in Dublin from over 90 percent in the mid-1970s, down to 14 percent in a 2011 survey, and less than 2% in some areas[181][182] In the2016 census, 68.2% of Dublin's population identified as Catholic, 12.7% as other stated religions, with 19.1% having no religion or no religion stated.[183]
In the 2022 census, the population ofCounty Dublin self-identified as 80.4% white (68.0% white Irish, 12.0% other white and 0.4% Irish traveller), 5.8% Asian, 3.0% mixed backgrounds, 2.2%Black and 8.5% not stated.[184] In the same census, the ethnic makeup of Dublin city was 76.81% white (including 64.23% white Irish and 12.19% other white people), 12.98% not stated, 5.11% Asian, 3.50% other and 1.58%black.[185]
As of December 2024, there were 1,467 families living in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region. This is a decrease of 57 on the November 2024 number, and an increase of 67 when compared with December 2023, when there were 1,400 families in emergency accommodation.[186]
There are several theatres within the city centre, and various well-known actors have emerged from the Dublin theatrical scene, includingNoel Purcell,Michael Gambon,Brendan Gleeson,Stephen Rea,Colin Farrell,Colm Meaney andGabriel Byrne. The best known theatres include theGaiety,Abbey,Olympia,Gate, andGrand Canal. The Gaiety specialises in musical and operatic productions, and also opens its doors after the evening theatre production to host a variety of live music, dancing, and films. The Abbey was founded in 1904 by a group that includedYeats with the aim of promoting indigenous literary talent. It went on to provide a breakthrough for some of the city's most famous writers, such asSynge, Yeats himself and George Bernard Shaw. The Gate was founded in 1928 to promote European and American Avant Garde works. The Grand Canal Theatre is a newer 2,111 capacity theatre which opened in 2010 in theGrand Canal Dock area.
Apart from being the focus of the country's literature and theatre, Dublin is the focal point for much ofIrish art and the Irish artistic scene. TheBook of Kells, a world-famous manuscript produced by Celtic monks in AD 800 and an example ofInsular art, is on display inTrinity College. TheChester Beatty Library houses a collection of manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books anddecorative arts assembled by American mining millionaire (and honorary Irish citizen)Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968). The collections date from 2700 BCE onwards and are drawn from Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
A mosaic of the coat of arms of Dublin on the floor of City Hall
Dublin has long had an 'underground' arts scene, with Temple Bar hosting artists in the 1980s, and spaces such as the Project Arts Centre acting as a hub for collectives and new exhibitions.The Guardian noted that Dublin's independent and underground arts flourished during the economic recession ofc. 2010.[190] Dublin also has many dramatic, musical and operatic companies, including Festival Productions, Lyric Opera Productions, the Pioneers' Musical & Dramatic Society,Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society, the Glasnevin Musical Society, Third Day Chorale, Second Age Theatre Company,Irish National Opera.
The best known area for nightlife isTemple Bar, south of the River Liffey. The area has become popular among tourists, includingstag andhen parties from the UK.[196] It was developed as Dublin's cultural quarter and does retain this spirit as a centre for small arts productions, photographic and artists' studios, and in the form of street performers and small music venues; however, it has been criticised as overpriced, false and dirty by Lonely Planet.[197] The areas around Leeson Street, Harcourt Street, South William Street and Camden/George's Street are popular nightlife spots for locals.
Dublin city centre is a popular shopping destination for both locals and tourists. The city has numerous shopping districts, particularly aroundGrafton Street andHenry Street. The city centre is also the location of large department stores, includingArnotts,Brown Thomas and (prior to its 2015 closure)Clerys.
Dublin is the centre of both media and communications in Ireland, with many newspapers, radio stations, television stations and telephone companies based there.RTÉ is Ireland's national state broadcaster, and is based inDonnybrook.Fair City is RTÉ's soap opera, located in the fictional Dublin suburb ofCarraigstown.
TheDublin Marathon has been run since 1980 at the end of October. TheWomen's Mini Marathon has been run since 1983 on the first Monday in June, which is also a bank holiday in Ireland. It is said to be the largest all female event of its kind in the world.[213] TheGreat Ireland Run takes place in Dublin's Phoenix Park in mid-April.[214]
Two Dublin baseball clubs compete in theIrish Baseball League.[215] The Dublin Spartans and the Dublin Bay Hurricanes are both based at The O'Malley Fields atCorkagh Park. The Portmarnock Red Rox, from outside the city, competes in the Baseball Ireland B League.[216]
Historically, Irish coffee houses and cafes were associated with those working in media.[220] Since the beginning of the 21st century, with the growth of apartment living in the city, Dublin's cafés attracted younger patrons looking for an informal gathering place and an ad hoc office.[220] Cafés became more popular in the city, and Irish-owned coffee chains like Java Republic, Insomnia, and O'Brien's Sandwich Bars now compete internationally. In 2008, Irish barista Stephen Morrissey won the title of World Barista Champion.[221]
Immigrant groups, such asChinese,Japanese andItalian émigrés, have also opened restaurants around Dublin.[177][222] A number of South-East Asians immigrated from places such asHong Kong,Malaysia andMainland China to Dublin during the 1960s and opened restaurants featuring their cuisines.[223] Modern Irish adaptions of Chinese cuisine include theSpice bag, atakeaway dish consisting of mainly chicken, chips and vegetables.[224][225] In 2020, it was voted 'Ireland's Favourite Takeaway Dish' in theJust Eat National Takeaway Awards.[226]
Dublin was traditionally a city of two languages, English andIrish, a situation found also in the area around it,the Pale. The Irish of County Dublin represented the easternmost extension of a broad central dialect area which stretched between Leinster andConnacht, but had its own local characteristics. It may also have been influenced by the eastUlster dialect ofCounty Meath andCounty Louth to the north.[227]
In the words of a 16th-century English administrator,William Gerard (1518–1581): "All Englishe, and the most part with delight, even in Dublin, speak Irishe".[228] TheOld English historianRichard Stanihurst (1547–1618) wrote as follows: "When their posteritie became not altogither so warie in keeping, as their ancestors were valiant in conquering, the Irish language was free dennized in the English Pale: this canker tooke such deep root, as the bodie that before was whole and sound, was by little and little festered, and in manner wholly putrified".[229]
English authorities of the Cromwellian period accepted the fact that Irish was widely spoken in the city and its surrounds. In 1655 several local dignitaries were ordered to oversee a lecture in Irish to be given in Dublin. In March 1656 a converted Catholic priest, Séamas Corcy, was appointed to preach in Irish at Bride's parish every Sunday, and was also ordered to preach atDrogheda andAthy.[230] In 1657 the English colonists in Dublin presented a petition to the Municipal Council complaining that in Dublin itself "there is Irish commonly and usually spoken".[231]
In early 18th century Dublin, Irish was the language of a group of poets and scribes led by Seán and Tadhg Ó Neachtain.[232] Scribal activity in Irish persisted in Dublin right through the 18th century.[233] There were still native Irish speakers in County Dublin at the time of the 1851 census.[234]
Though the number of Irish speakers declined throughout Ireland in the 19th century, the end of the century saw aGaelic revival, centred in Dublin and accompanied by renewed literary activity.[235] This was the harbinger of a steady renewal of urban Irish, though with new characteristics of its own.[236][237]
The native language of most Dubliners today is English, and several local dialects are subsumed under the labelDublin English. Dublin also has many thousands of habitual Irish speakers, with the2016 census showing that daily speakers (outside the education system) numbered 14,903. They form part of an urban Irish-speaking cohort which is generally better-educated than monoglot English speakers.[238]
The Dublin Irish-speaking cohort is supported by a number of Irish-medium schools. There are 12,950 students in the Dublin region attending 34gaelscoileanna (Irish-language primary schools) and 10gaelcholáistí (Irish-language secondary schools).[239]
Dublin city council has an International Relations Unit, established in 2007. It works on hosting of international delegations, staff exchanges, international promotion of the city, twinning and partnerships, work with multi-city organisations such asEurocities, economic partnerships and advice to other Council units.[240]
The city also has "friendship" or "co-operation agreements" with a number of other cities:Moscow (since 2009) andSt Petersburg (since 2010) in Russia andGuadalajara in Mexico (since 2013),[250][241] and has previously proposed an agreement withRio de Janeiro also.[251][252] Previous agreements have included those withMexico City (2014−2018),Tbilisi in Georgia (2014−2017) andWuhan in China (2016−2019).
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^Holm, Poul (1989). "The Slave Trade of Dublin, Ninth To Twelfth Centuries".Peritia. Journal of the Medieval Academy of Ireland: 335.the very idea of the taking of prisoners of war spread to the Irish [from the Vikings] in the tenth century
^"Dublin Renaissance".architectural-review.com. The Architectural Review. 1993.Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved29 December 2021.[while] the impossibly bureaucratic sounding Wide Streets Commissioners [..] cut broad, ersatz boulevard swathes through the dense urban grain to create Parliament Street, Dame Street and Westmoreland Street [..] The minor streets of Temple Bar, originally little more than mean alleyways, have evolved over time
^Lisa Marie Griffith (2014).Stones of Dublin. Collins Press.ISBN9781848898721.Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved10 November 2020.[Guinness] was Dublin's largest brewery in 1810, Ireland's largest in 1833, and the largest in the world by 1914. Guinness was also the city's largest employer
^"St James's Gate: a brief history".The Irish Times. 16 April 2004.Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved17 June 2018.[in] 1886 Guinness [was] officially the biggest brewery in the world with an annual production of 1.2 million barrels. [And, by] 1906 the workforce exceeds 3,200; some 10,000 are directly dependent on the brewery for their livelihood – one in thirty of Dublin's population
^Olivia Kelly (19 December 2018)."Construction of homes in Dublin city halves".The Irish Times.Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved20 December 2018.The number of homes under construction in Dublin city is down almost 50 per cent on last year, with a 20 per cent drop across the region as a whole, according to a new report from the Government's Dublin Housing Supply Task Force
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^Ní Mhunghaile, Lesa. 'An Eighteenth Century Irish scribe's private library: Muiris Ó Gormáin's books' inProceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Volume 110C, 2010, pp. 239–276.
^Fitzgerald, Garrett, 'Estimates for baronies of minimal level of Irish-speaking amongst successive decennial cohorts, 117-1781 to 1861–1871,’ Volume 84, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 1984
^Ó Conluain, Proinsias & Ó Céileachair, Donncha (1958).An Duinníneach, pp. 148–153, 163–169, 210–215. Sáirséal agus Dill. ISBN 0-901374-22-9.
^"Managing our International relationships – City twinning". Dublin City Council. 26 June 2018.Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved28 August 2018.We are currently twinned with four cities: Beijing (The People's Republic of China) – Twinned since 2010 [..] Barcelona (Spain) – Twinned since 1998 [..] Liverpool (United Kingdom) – Twinned since 1997 [..] San José (United States of America) – Twinned since 1986
^"International Relations".Dublin City Council. Archived fromthe original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved29 May 2020.Dublin is currently twinned with: San José (1986) Liverpool (1997) Barcelona (1998, Addendum in 2009 for 2 years) Beijing (2011) ... a less formal commitment between two or more cities. Dublin currently has the following agreements:...
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