106-514: Dún Laoghaire ( / d ʌ n ˈ l ɪər i / dun LEER -ee , Irish: [ˌd̪ˠuːn̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠeːɾʲə, - ˈl̪ˠiːɾʲə] ) is a suburban coastal town in County Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown . The town was built up alongside a small existing settlement following 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dublin. It
212-569: A County Dublin basis. The Placenames Branch of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media maintains a Placenames Database that records all placenames, past and present. County Dublin is listed in the database along with the subdivisions of that county. It is also used as an address for areas within Dublin outside of the Dublin postal district system . For a period in 2020 during
318-714: A dark tidal pool. This tidal pool was located where the River Poddle entered the Liffey , to the rear of Dublin Castle . The hinterland of Dublin in the Norse period was named Old Norse : Dyflinnar skíði , lit. 'Dublinshire'. In addition to Dyflin , a Gaelic settlement known as Áth Cliath ('ford of hurdles') was located further up the Liffey, near present-day Father Mathew Bridge . Baile Átha Cliath means 'town of
424-507: A half times the population of County Cork . Approximately 21% of Ireland's population lives within County Dublin (28% if only the Republic of Ireland is counted). Additionally, Dublin has more people than the combined populations of Ireland's 16 smallest counties. John Skipton Mulvany John Skipton Mulvany FRIAI (1813 – 10 May 1870) was a notable Irish architect. He was
530-505: A narrow range. In Merrion Square , the coldest month is February, with an average minimum temperature of 4.1 °C (39.4 °F), and the warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of 20.1 °C (68.2 °F). Due to the urban 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), similar to London and Berlin , and
636-523: A number of private clinics, therapists and general practitioners. County Dublin County Dublin ( Irish : Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath or Contae Átha Cliath ) is a county in Ireland , and holds its capital city, Dublin . It is located on the island's east coast, within the province of Leinster . Until 1994, County Dublin (excluding the city) was a single local government area ; in that year,
742-504: A population of 1,458,154 as of 2022 – approximately 28% of the Republic of Ireland's total population. Dublin city is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, as well as the largest city on the island of Ireland . Roughly 9 out of every 10 people in County Dublin lives within Dublin city and its suburbs. Several sizeable towns that are considered separate from the city, such as Rush , Donabate and Balbriggan , are located in
848-666: A seaside promenade , which is actually the Dún Laoghaire East Pier. A band is seen playing on a bandstand in this film scene, and this is the actual bandstand on the East Pier. The bandstand was restored to its original condition in 2010 by the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company. It took 42 years to construct the harbour, from 1817 to 1859. Initially it was thought that one pier (east pier) of 3,500 feet would be sufficient to provide shelter to shipping. It wasn't until
954-464: A temperate coastal county, snow is relatively uncommon in lowland areas; however, Dublin is particularly vulnerable to heavy snowfall on rare occasions where cold, dry easterly winds dominate during the winter. During the late summer and early autumn, Dublin can experience Atlantic storms, which bring strong winds and torrential rain to Ireland. Dublin was the county worst-affected by Hurricane Charley in 1986. It caused severe flooding, especially along
1060-464: A wealth ecologically important areas. County Dublin contains 11 EU -designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and 11 Special Protection Areas (SPAs). The bedrock geology of Dublin consists primarily of Lower Carboniferous limestone, which underlies about two thirds of the entire county, stretching from Skerries to Booterstown . During the Lower Carboniferous (ca. 340 Mya), the area
1166-573: Is 2,797 acres ( Caastlekelly ). The average size of a townland in the county (excluding towns) is 205 acres. Under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , County Dublin was divided into urban districts of Blackrock , Clontarf , Dalkey , Drumcondra, Clonliffe and Glasnevin , Killiney and Ballybrack , Kingstown , New Kilmainham , Pembroke , and Rathmines and Rathgar , and the rural districts of Balrothery , Celbridge No. 2, North Dublin, Rathdown , and South Dublin. Howth, formerly within
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#17330853714901272-593: Is beside the terminus of the 63/A, S8, L25 and the 46A, the most frequent and heavily used bus route in Dublin. Sandycove and Glasthule and Salthill and Monkstown also serve the area. The 746 bus route from the station terminus to Dublin Airport was discontinued in October 2010. The 75/A also served Dún Laoghaire to Tallaght until it was replaced with the S8 and L25 on 26 November 2023 under BusConnects . An Aircoach service links
1378-580: Is close by). At that time, the area was a craggy, rocky pastureland spotted with some granite quarries. On the night of 18–19 November 1807, two troopships, the Prince of Wales , and the Rochdale , which had departed from Dublin, were driven on to the rocks between Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire with the loss of over 400 lives. This disaster gave new impetus to an existing campaign for an "asylum harbour" to be constructed near Dublin. When King George IV came to visit
1484-725: Is home to a number of yacht clubs of which Dublin Bay Sailing Club incorporating the Royal Alfred yacht Club is the largest. it organises racing for dinghies and keelboats on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from April to September. Other clubs include the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club with premises on the West Pier, the Irish National Sailing School & Irish National Sailing Club based at
1590-408: Is home to the head office of Ireland's largest supermarket operator, Tesco Ireland , whose stores previously anchored both major shopping centres in the town. Dún Laoghaire also holds other company headquarters, such as those of Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Lionbridge Ireland. There is an active Business Association and Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, developer Philip Gannon axed a project to convert
1696-871: Is home to three third-level education establishments; Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute (DFEi) formerly called Dún Laoghaire College of Further Education (DCFE) on Cumberland Street in Dun Laoghaire town, and Sallynoggin College of Further Education (SCFE). Primary schools in the Dún Laoghaire area include Dominican Primary School Dún Laoghaire, Holy Family National School in Monkstown Farm, Harold National School, Glasthule and Monkstown Educate Together National School (METNS) on Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire. A number of secondary schools around Dún Laoghaire closed in
1802-570: Is in turn part of the Eastern and Midland Region , a NUTS II entity. Each of the local authorities have representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly. There are ten historic baronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they ceased to have any administrative function following the Local Government Act 1898 , and any changes to county boundaries after
1908-669: Is named after the city of Dublin, which is an anglicisation of its Old Norse name Dyflin . The city was founded in the 9th century AD by Viking settlers who established the Kingdom of Dublin . The Viking settlement was preceded by a Christian ecclesiastical site known as Duiblinn , from which Dyflin took its name. Duiblinn derives from the early Classical Irish Dubhlind / Duibhlind – from dubh ( IPA: [d̪uβ] , IPA: [d̪uw] , IPA: [d̪uː] ) meaning 'black, dark', and lind ( IPA: [lʲiɲ(d̪ʲ)] ) 'pool', referring to
2014-518: Is normally moored adjoining the Carlisle Pier. The inshore boat is stored in a stone shed at the base of the East Pier. Until recently lifeboat crews were called to duty using a maroon launched from the shore base. At least one traditional "cabman's shelter" survives – these were small buildings built for the drivers of horse-drawn taxis. Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DART services,
2120-621: Is officially spelt Dún Laoghaire in modern Irish orthography, and in general usage. It is sometimes unofficially written as Dún Laoire . The old anglicised spelling Dunleary is also seen. This last is how the town's name is commonly pronounced, although the Irish pronunciation is also common. Dún Laoghaire's origins are generally assumed to trace back to a fort that is believed to have stood there and mostly likely to have belonged to Lóegaire mac Néill . A 1686 map of Dublin Bay by Greenvile Collins gives
2226-584: Is significantly larger than the other three local authorities and covers about 49.5% of County Dublin's land area. Fingal is also perhaps the flattest region in Ireland, with the low-lying Naul Hills rising to a maximum height of just 176 metres (577 ft). Dublin is bounded to the south by the Wicklow Mountains . Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains ( Sléibhte Bhaile Átha Cliath ). Kippure , on
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#17330853714902332-464: Is the third-smallest of Leinster's 12 counties in size and the largest by population. Dublin shares a border with three counties – Meath to the north and west, Kildare to the west and Wicklow to the south. To the east, Dublin has an Irish Sea coastline which stretches for 155 kilometres (96 mi). Dublin is a topographically varied region. The city centre is generally very low-lying, and many areas of coastal Dublin are at or near sea-level. In
2438-546: Is what we are about today, but in effect that is the case." Although the Electoral Commission should, as far as practicable, avoid breaching county boundaries when recommending Dáil constituencies , this does not include the boundaries of a city or the boundary between the three counties in Dublin. There is also still a sheriff appointed for County Dublin. The term "County Dublin" is still in common usage. Many organisations and sporting teams continue to organise on
2544-428: The 2022 census , the population of Dublin was 1,458,154, an 8.4% increase since the 2016 Census . The county's population first surpassed 1 million in 1981, and is projected to reach 1.8 million by 2036. Dublin is Ireland's most populous county , a position it has held since the 1926 Census, when it overtook County Antrim . As of 2022, County Dublin has over twice the population of County Antrim and two and
2650-559: The Ballycorus Leadmines caused widespread lead poisoning , and the area was once nicknamed "Death Valley". Dublin is in a maritime temperate oceanic region according to Köppen climate classification . Its climate is characterised by cool winters, mild humid summers, and a lack of temperature extremes. Met Éireann have a number of weather stations in the county, with its two primary stations at Dublin Airport and Casement Aerodrome . Annual temperatures typically fall within
2756-597: The COVID-19 pandemic , to reduce person-to-person contact, government regulations restricted activity to "within the county in which the relevant residence is situated". Within the regulations, the local government areas of "Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal, South Dublin and Dublin City" were deemed to be a single county (as were the city and the county of Cork, and the city and the county of Galway). The latest Ordnance Survey Ireland "Discovery Series" (Third Edition 2005) 1:50,000 map of
2862-591: The Commissioners of Irish Lights (the General Lighthouse Authority for Ireland) is on Harbour Road. South of the harbour is Scotsman's Bay, where there was a Victorian seaside amusement area, with walks, shelters and baths. The walks and shelters are largely intact. Dún Laoghaire Baths, which had been derelict for many years, were repainted in bright colours in 2012. In 2022, the restored historic baths were re-opened, facilitating sea swimming but without
2968-489: The Dublin Mountains , which rise to around 760 metres (2,500 ft) and contain numerous valleys, reservoirs and forests. The county's east coast is punctuated by several bays and inlets, including Rogerstown Estuary , Broadmeadow Estuary , Baldoyle Bay and most prominently, Dublin Bay . The northern section of the county, today known as Fingal , varies enormously in character, from densely populated suburban towns of
3074-646: The Dublin and Kingstown Railway . He later cultivated people of wealth and influence in Victorian Dublin, mainly Quakers (though he himself was a Roman Catholic), thereby gaining important commissions. His best-known work was the Broadstone (Dublin) railway station . Among the many other works designed by him were the Dún Laoghaire railway station , the Galway Railway Station and Hotel , the clubhouse for
3180-693: The Irish Parliament was abolished under the Acts of Union 1800 and Ireland was incorporated into the United Kingdom . Dublin lost its political status as a capital and went into a marked decline throughout the 19th century, leading to widespread demands to repeal the union . Although at one time the second city of the British Empire , by the late 1800s Dublin was one of the poorest cities in Europe. The city had
3286-495: The Local Government Act 2001 , the country was divided into local government areas of cities and counties, with the county borough of Dublin being designated a city for all purposes, now administered by Dublin City Council . Each local authority is responsible for certain local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, the collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing . Dublin, comprising
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3392-554: The Royal Navy . It is directly inland from the East Pier. The building has been completely renovated and reopened. Overlooking the harbour and beside the maritime museum is the DLR Lexicon , the central library and cultural centre of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. It opened in 2014, replacing the Carnegie library which had opened in 1912 on Library Road. Costing an estimated €36.6 million,
3498-782: The South Eastern Commuter line and the mainline rail service that runs from Dublin to Rosslare . Dun Laoghaire was also formerly served by the Dublin tramways routes 7 and 8 and was the terminus for the former until the tram lines ceased operations on 9 July 1949. The town is also served by several bus routes which are the 7/A/B/D/N ( Mountjoy Square to Brides Glen / Loughlinstown / Shankill / Dalkey ), 45A/B ( Kilmacanogue ), 46A ( Phoenix Park ), 59 ( Killiney ), 63/A (Kilmacanogue/ Kilternan ), 111 (Brides Glen to Dalkey), S8 ( Citywest ) and L25 ( Dundrum ) operated by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland (since September 2018). The railway station
3604-487: The 13th century onwards. English power diminished so significantly that by the early 16th century English laws and customs were restricted to a small area around Dublin known as " The Pale ". The Earl of Kildare's failed rebellion in 1535 reignited Tudor interest in Ireland, and Henry VIII proclaimed the Kingdom of Ireland in 1542, with Dublin as its capital. Over the next 60 years the Tudor conquest spread to every corner of
3710-520: The 1830s for the entertainment of the residents. The location for these events was at the top of York Road where several houses have names such as 'Racefield'. These events no longer take place. The town had a golf club from 1909 to 2007, but its members agreed to sell the course to housing developers and move to Ballyman Road, near Enniskerry in County Wicklow . The golf club was on a site now occupied by Honeypark and Cualanor. The Dún Laoghaire area
3816-626: The 1990s. These school closures included CBS Eblana Avenue , founded in 1856 and closed in 1992 (although the fee-paying school C.B.C. Monkstown which relocated from Eblana continues to this day); the Dominican Convent girls' school, which closed a year earlier in 1991; Dun Laoghaire Community College (previously Dun Laoghaire Tech) which changed to a Further Education Institute in 1996 and to Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute (DFEi) since then. Presentation Brothers in Glasthule, founded in 1902,
3922-880: The Dublin City Sheriff) and Dublin County combined with Dublin City forms the Judicial County of Dublin, including Dublin Circuit Court, the Dublin County Registrar and the Dublin Metropolitan District Court. Dublin also sees law enforcement (the Garda Dublin metropolitan division) and fire services ( Dublin Fire Brigade ) administered county-wide. Dublin is Ireland's most populous county , with
4028-475: The Dublin Mountains were upgraded in 2006 after a study into the impact of Hurricane Charley concluded that a slightly larger storm would have caused the reservoir dams to burst, which would have resulted in catastrophic damage and significant loss of life. In contrast with the Atlantic Coast , the east coast of Ireland has relatively few islands. County Dublin has one of the highest concentrations of islands on
4134-639: The Dublin Region, Sheet 50, shows the boundaries of the city and three surrounding counties of the region. Extremities of the Dublin Region, in the north and south of the region, appear in other sheets of the series, 43 and 56 respectively. There are four local authorities whose remit collectively encompasses the geographic area of the county and city of Dublin. These are Dublin City Council , South Dublin County Council , Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council . Until 1 January 1994,
4240-529: The Dublin–Wicklow border, is the county's highest mountain, at 757 metres (2,484 ft) above sea level. Crossed by the Dublin Mountains Way , they are a popular amenity area, with Two Rock , Three Rock , Tibradden , Ticknock , Montpelier Hill , and Glenasmole being among the most heavily foot-falled hiking destinations in Ireland. Forest cover extends to over 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) within
4346-713: The Irish Sea at the Dublin Docklands . The Liffey cuts through the centre of Dublin city, and the resultant Northside – Southside divide is an often used social, economic and linguistic distinction. Notable inlets include the central Dublin Bay , Rogerstown Estuary , the estuary of the Broadmeadow and Killiney Bay, under Killiney Hill . Headlands include Howth Head , Drumanagh and the Portraine Shore. In terms of biodiversity , these estuarine and coastal regions are home to
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4452-431: The Irish east coast. Colt Island, St. Patrick's Island, Shenick Island and numerous smaller islets are clustered off the coast of Skerries, and are collectively known as the "Skerries Islands Natural Heritage Area". Further out lies Rockabill , which is Dublin's most isolated island, at about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) offshore. Lambay Island , at 250 hectares (620 acres), is the largest island off Ireland's east coast and
4558-707: The Kingstown Town Commissioners established Kingstown Town Hall (now County Hall) on the sea front and, in 1890, they established the People's Park on the site of a depleted Board of Works quarry. The British 59th (2nd North Midland) Division disembarked at Kingstown in April 1916 and marched up the road to Dublin, to participate in the response to the Easter Rising . Adjacent to the Carlisle Pier and overlooked by
4664-773: The National Maritime Museum of Ireland, there is an anchor, recovered from the wreck of the mailboat RMS Leinster which was torpedoed by the Imperial German Navy over the Kish Bank in 1918, with the loss of over 500 lives. The main road to Dublin, through Monkstown village and Blackrock , was the sole road connection to the city until 1932. In that year, the Eucharistic Congress brought thousands of visitors to Dublin, and plans indicated that many of them would come through Dún Laoghaire. Dún Laoghaire
4770-635: The Normans, led by de Cogan and FitzGerald , stormed Dublin and overwhelmed its defenders, forcing mac Ragnaill to flee to the Northern Isles . Separate attempts to retake Dublin were launched by both Ua Conchobair and mac Ragnaill in 1171, both of which were unsuccessful. The authority over Ireland established by the Anglo-Norman King Henry II was gradually lost during the Gaelic resurgence from
4876-452: The Pavilion Gardens site is Moran Park, redeveloped as part of the Lexicon library project, and originally the site of the harbour authority's office and harbourmaster's house. At the inland side of this small public park was a deep former steam engine water storage pond, which was reworked into a water feature inland of the Lexicon library building. The National Maritime Museum of Ireland is housed in Mariners' Church , which formerly served
4982-426: The River Dodder, and is reputed to be the worst flood event in Dublin's history. Rainfall records were shattered across the county. Kippure recorded 280 mm (11 in) of rain over a 24-hour period, the greatest daily rainfall total ever recorded in Ireland. The government allocated IR£ 6,449,000 (equivalent to US$ 20.5 million in 2020) to repair the damage wrought by Charley. The two reservoirs at Bohernabreena in
5088-413: The Royal Marine Hotel, near the harbour, and a weekly farmers market held in the People's Park on Sundays. There has been plenty of new investment in the area recently, and the Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre will be subject to renovation by its owners Coltard, starting from 2016. The town has a wide range of eating places and public houses, as well as more than one hundred other retail businesses. The town
5194-405: The United Kingdom in December 1922, with Dublin becoming the capital of the Irish Free State , and later the Republic of Ireland. From the 1960s onwards, Dublin city greatly expanded due to urban renewal works and the construction of large suburbs such as Tallaght , Coolock and Ballymun , which resettled both the rural and urban poor of County Dublin in newer state-built accommodation. Dublin
5300-478: The West Pier at Salthill Beach once saw windsurfing activity over the twelve months of the year. St Michael's Rowing Club, one of the longest-established members of the East Coast Rowing Council , has its roots in Dún Laoghaire harbour since the hobblers of the 18th and 19th centuries. The club itself has existed since the early 1920s and still resides in the Coal Harbour boatyard today. Members can regularly be seen rowing their traditional, clinker-built skiffs around
5406-424: The administrative county of Dublin was administered by Dublin County Council . From that date, its functions were succeeded by Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council, each with its county seat , respectively administering the new counties established on that date. The city was previously designated a county borough and administered by Dublin Corporation . Under
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#17330853714905512-403: The area with Dublin Airport 24 hours a day with stops at County Hall and the Royal Marine Hotel. Route 703 travels from Killiney to Dublin Airport via Dalkey, Glasthule , Dún Laoghaire, Monkstown , Blackrock , Booterstown , Tara Towers hotel , Strand Road and The Point ( 3Arena ). The Dublin and Kingstown Railway , constructed and opened in 1834 , was the first-ever railway in Ireland and
5618-419: The beginning of the 21st century the route, operated by Stena Line 's Stena Explorer ran three times daily in each direction, but competition from low-cost airlines and increasing fuel costs resulted in the service being reduced to once-daily in 2008, and becoming a seasonal (summer-only plus Christmas/New Year) from 2010. From early 2015 Stena Line concentrated their Holyhead routes on Dublin Port, and withdrew
5724-448: The brink of civil war as a result of the Home Rule Crisis . Despite being the centre of Irish unionism outside of Ulster , Dublin was overwhelmingly in favour of Home Rule. Unionist parties had performed poorly in the county since the 1870s, leading contemporary historian W. E. H. Lecky to conclude that "Ulster unionism is the only form of Irish unionism that is likely to count as a serious political force". Unlike their counterparts in
5830-407: The city of Dublin, except for four coastal districts of Blackrock, Dalkey, Dún Laoghaire, and Killiney and Ballybrack, which formed the borough of Dún Laoghaire in 1930. The city of Dublin had been administered separately since the 13th century. Under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , the two areas were defined as the administrative county of Dublin and the county borough of Dublin, with
5936-485: The city's commuter belt to flat, fertile plains, which are some of the country's largest horticultural and agricultural hubs. Dublin is the oldest county in Ireland, and was the first part of the island to be shired following the Norman invasion in the late 1100s. While it is no longer a local government area, Dublin retains a strong identity, and continues to be referred to as both a region and county interchangeably, including at government body level. County Dublin
6042-434: The city, demolishing most of medieval Dublin in the process. During the Enlightenment , the penal laws were gradually repealed and members of the Protestant Ascendancy began to regard themselves as citizens of a distinct Irish nation. The Irish Patriot Party , led by Henry Grattan , agitated for greater autonomy from Great Britain , which was achieved under the Constitution of 1782 . These freedoms proved short-lived, as
6148-473: The counties of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown , Fingal and South Dublin , each coterminous (with minor boundary adjustments) with the area of the corresponding electoral county. In discussing the legislation, Avril Doyle TD said, "The Bill before us today effectively abolishes County Dublin, and as one born and bred in these parts of Ireland I find it rather strange that we in this House are abolishing County Dublin. I am not sure whether Dubliners realise that that
6254-420: The country, and opened in 2001 following resistance for over 15 years by a group led by the late John de Courcy Ireland , the maritime historian. A 240-berth extension, involving an investment of €3 million, was approved in June 2006 by An Bord Pleanála ; the project was completed in April 2007. The marina was the first in Ireland to be awarded a 5 Gold Anchor rating. Horse racing was undertaken annually in
6360-407: The county council was divided into three new administrative counties: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown , Fingal and South Dublin . The three administrative counties together with Dublin City proper form a NUTS III statistical region of Ireland (coded IE061). County Dublin remains a single administrative unit for the purposes of the courts (including the Dublin County Sheriff, but excluding the bailiwick of
6466-423: The county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown . The town's name means "fort of Laoghaire". This refers to Lóegaire mac Néill (modern spelling: Laoghaire Mac Néill), a 5th-century High King of Ireland , who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain and Gaul . Traces of fortifications from that time have been found on the coast, and some of the stone is kept in the Maritime Museum . The name
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#17330853714906572-454: The county, nearly all of which is located in the Dublin Mountains. With just 6.5% of Dublin under forest, it is the 6th least forested county in Ireland. Much of the county is drained by its three major rivers – the River Liffey , the River Tolka in north Dublin, and the River Dodder in south Dublin. The Liffey, at 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length, is the 8th longest river in Ireland, and rises near Tonduff in County Wicklow, reaching
6678-410: The county. Dublin's sheltered location makes it the driest place in Ireland, receiving only about half the rainfall of the west coast. Ringsend in the south of Dublin city records the lowest rainfall in the country, with an average annual precipitation of 683 mm (27 in). The wettest area of the county is the Glenasmole Valley , which receives 1,159 mm (46 in) of rainfall per year. As
6784-401: The easternmost point of County Dublin. Lambay supports one of the largest seabird colonies in Ireland and, curiously, also supports a population of non-native Red-necked wallabies . To the south of Lambay lies a smaller island known as Ireland's Eye – the result of a mistranslation of the island's Irish name by invading Vikings . Bull Island is a man-made island lying roughly parallel to
6890-450: The electrified suburban service was branded as DART . From the 19th century, the town was the principal passenger port for ferries between Ireland and Britain, with a frequent service to Holyhead in Anglesey , Wales. Among the ships which operated this route were "Banshee", "Llewellyn", "Ulster", "Munster", "Leinster", "Connaught", " MV Cambria ", " MV Hibernia ", " Princess Maud ", "Holyhead Ferry 1", "St. Columba" and "Stena Cambria". At
6996-405: The far north of the county. Swords , while separated from the city by a green belt around Dublin Airport , is considered a suburban commuter town and an emerging small city. The third smallest county by land area, Dublin is bordered by Meath to the west and north, Kildare to the west, Wicklow to the south and the Irish Sea to the east. The southern part of the county is dominated by
7102-429: The first pier was in use that the authorities realised the need for protection from winds from the west and north west. The West Pier was commenced in 1820 and was constructed with a length of 4,950 feet. The mouth of the harbour is 850 feet wide. The piers were built of perfectly square blocks (50 cubic feet) of Runcorn sandstone from foundation level up to 14 feet high. From six feet below low water level to coping level,
7208-409: The foot of the West Pier, the Sailing in Dublin Club with premises in the Coal Harbour, the Royal Irish Yacht Club between the Commissioners for Irish Lights and the marina entrance, the Royal St George Yacht Club (built 1842) opposite the Pavilion Centre, National Yacht Club (built 1870) closest to the East Pier and the Irish Youth Sailing Club located on the East Pier. The area to the north of
7314-434: The former ferry terminal at Dún Laoghaire into a €20 million digital hub that had been projected to bring in 1,000 jobs and 50 companies. Gannon accused Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company of failing to secure the rights to lease the ferry terminal, despite advertising it for lease. Early residents moved to Dun Laoghaire for the purity of its air compared with Dublin city. Dún Laoghaire is home to St Michael's Hospital as well as
7420-420: The four local government areas in the county, is a strategic planning area within the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA). It is a NUTS Level III region of Ireland . The region is one of eight regions of Ireland for Eurostat statistics at NUTS 3 level. Its NUTS code is IE061. This area formerly came under the remit of the Dublin Regional Authority. This Authority was dissolved in 2014. As of
7526-421: The fourth son of Thomas James Mulvany , one of the founder members, with his own brother John George, of the Royal Hibernian Academy . Most of the buildings he designed are still in daily use and are well preserved. Mulvany was apprenticed to William Deane Butler, who was responsible for many fine classical courthouses and Gothic churches. He was an admirer of James Gandon . He started by undertaking works for
7632-463: The grand Georgian homes of the 1700s were converted en masse into tenement slums . In 1911, over 20,000 families in Dublin were living in one-room tenements which they rented from wealthy landlords. Henrietta Street was particularly infamous for the density of its tenements, with 845 people living on the street in 1911, including 19 families – totalling 109 people – living in just one house. After decades of political unrest, Ireland appeared to be on
7738-453: The harbour and Scotsman's Bay throughout the year. The Water Wag Club was founded in Kingstown in 1887 to "Establish a class of sailing punt with centreboard all rigged and built the same so that an even harbour race can be had with a light rowing and generally useful boat". This was the first time in yachting history that all the boats in a race should be identical, and that the winner would be
7844-623: The hurdled ford', with Áth Cliath referring to a fording point along the river. As with Duiblinn , an early Christian monastery was also located at Áth Cliath , on the site that is currently occupied by the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church . Dublin was the first county in Ireland to be shired after the Norman Conquest in the late 12th century. The Normans captured the Kingdom of Dublin from its Norse-Gael rulers and
7950-473: The island, which was fully subdued by 1603 . Despite harsh penal laws and unfavourable trade restrictions imposed upon Ireland, Dublin flourished in the 18th century. The Georgian buildings which still define much of Dublin's architectural landscape to this day were mostly built over a 50-year period spanning from about 1750 to 1800. Bodies such as the Wide Streets Commission completely reshaped
8056-598: The kingdom's Norse rulers were first exiled from the region as early as 902. Dublin was captured by the High King of Ireland , Máel Sechnaill II , in 980, who freed the kingdom's Gaelic slaves. Dublin was again defeated by Máel Sechnaill in 988 and forced to accept Brehon law and pay taxes to the High King. Successive defeats at the hands of Brian Boru in 999 and, most famously, at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, relegated Dublin to
8162-401: The latter in the city area. In 1985, County Dublin was divided into three electoral counties: Dublin–Belgard to the southwest (South Dublin from 1991), Dublin–Fingal to the north (Fingal from 1991), and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown to the southeast. On 1 January 1994, under the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993 , the County Dublin ceased to exist as a local government area, and was succeeded by
8268-473: The lowest July temperature ever recorded at the station was 7.8 °C (46.0 °F) on 3 July 1974. At Dublin Airport, the driest month is February with 48.8 mm (2 in) of rainfall, and the wettest month is November, with 79.0 mm (3 in) of rain on average. As the prevailing wind direction in Ireland is from the south and west, the Wicklow Mountains create a rain shadow over much of
8374-402: The man with the greatest skill. This concept of 'One-design' has become the norm worldwide and has been adopted for all Olympic sailing events and for most World Championships in sailing. The Water Wag club prospers some 134 years later, and 'Wags' can be seen sailing in Dún Laoghaire harbour on Wednesday evenings from late April to mid-September every year. The 820-berth marina is the largest in
8480-837: The mid-19th century are not reflected in their extent. The last boundary change of a barony in Dublin was in 1842, when the barony of Balrothery was divided into Balrothery East and Balrothery West. The largest recorded barony in Dublin in 1872 was Uppercross, at 39,032 acres (157.96 km ), and the smallest barony was Dublin, at 1,693 acres (6.85 km ). Townlands are the smallest officially defined geographical divisions in Ireland. There are 1,090 townlands in Dublin, of which 88 are historic town boundaries. These town boundaries are registered as their own townlands and are much larger than rural townlands. The smallest rural townlands in Dublin are just 1 acre in size, most of which are offshore islands ( Clare Rock Island, Lamb Island, Maiden Rock, Muglins, Thulla Island ). The largest rural townland in Dublin
8586-528: The mid-9th century AD and founded what would become the city of Dublin. Over time they mixed with the natives of the area, becoming Norse–Gaels . The Vikings raided across Ireland, Britain, France and Spain during this period and under their rule Dublin developed into the largest slave market in Western Europe . While the Vikings were formidable at sea, the superiority of Irish land forces soon became apparent, and
8692-519: The mouth of the River Liffey . The remains of five wooden fish traps were discovered near Spencer Dock in 2007. These traps were designed to catch incoming fish at high tide and could be retrieved at low tide. Thin-bladed stone axes were used to craft the traps and radiocarbon dating places them in the Late Mesolithic period ( c. 6,100 –5,700 BCE). The Vikings invaded the region in
8798-457: The name as Dun Lerroy . A later map from 1728 shows a small fishing village at the old harbour, marked as Dunlary or in other later maps as Dunleary . The earlier village was around the area where the Purty Kitchen pub is now (sometimes mapped as "Old Dunleary"). It had a coffee house and a small cove, both of which are shown on a number of old maps, and it may have had a salt mine (Salthill
8904-573: The name was used as the basis for the county's official Anglo-Norman (and later English ) name. However, in Modern Irish the region was named after the Gaelic settlement of Baile Átha Cliath or simply Áth Cliath . As a result, Dublin is one of four counties in Ireland with a different name origin for both Irish and English – the others being Wexford , Waterford , and Wicklow , whose English names are also derived from Old Norse. The earliest recorded inhabitants of present-day Dublin settled along
9010-688: The new building attracted much criticism prior to its opening on account of its size and design. The large building also contains the county library headquarters. Community facilities include the Boylan Community Centre, the Dún Laoghaire Scout Den, and a community information service in the tower building of St Michael's Church. An inshore and offshore lifeboat operated by the RNLI are based in Dún Laoghaire Harbour. The offshore boat
9116-577: The new port under construction in 1821, the name Dunleary was replaced by "Kingstown" in his honour. The town returned to its former name in August 1920, in the lead-up to the creation of the Irish Free State . Ireland's first railway, covering the five and a half miles from Dublin (Westland Row station) to Kingstown was opened on 17 December 1834. Costing £200,000, it terminated at the old harbour of Dunleary, which adjoins today's West Pier. Soon afterwards,
9222-641: The north, "southern unionists" were a clear minority in the rest of Ireland, and as such were much more willing to co-operate with the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) to avoid partition . Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty , Belfast unionist Dawson Bates decried the "effusive professions of loyalty and confidence in the Provisional Government" that was displayed by former unionists in the new Irish Free State . The question of Home Rule
9328-422: The piers are built from granite obtained from nearby Dalkey Quarry . The piers are 310 feet wide at foundation level, and 53 feet wide at the summit. An obelisk standing on four granite balls located near the old ferry port terminal at the harbour commemorates the departure of King George IV and the renaming of the place as Kingstown. A lighthouse was at the end of the East Pier, while the new headquarters of
9434-478: The railway was extended to Victoria wharf (later St. Michael's Wharf) of the new Dun Laoghaire harbour. Originally fares were sixpence (third class), eight pence (second class) and a shilling (first class). The journey took 15 minutes in 1837. The railway established Kingstown as a preferred suburb of Dublin and led to the construction of residential terraces. Gresham Terrace (now demolished) consisted of eight houses which formed one side of Victoria Square, so named at
9540-478: The railway were: Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway ; Dublin and South Eastern Railway ; Great Southern Railways ; CIÉ ; and Iarnród Éireann . An extension to Carlisle Pier for the boats operated from 1859 until 1980. The railway was subsequently extended to the south to Wexford , Rosslare Harbour and Waterford . Northwards in 1890 the line was extended to Amiens Street (now Connolly station) connecting to other railways. Electrification arrived in 1984, and
9646-491: The request of Princess Victoria. By 1844 the Atmospheric Train connected Kingstown to Dalkey , leading to further development. The original station building was replaced in 1854 by a granite pavilion built in the neo-classical style by architect John Skipton Mulvany . The building, which has high ceilings and arched windows, has been in use as a restaurant since 2007. The Atmospheric Railway ceased operation in 1854 but
9752-541: The rural district of Dublin North, became an urban district in 1919. Kingstown was renamed Dún Laoghaire in 1920. The rural districts were abolished in 1930. Balbriggan , in the rural district of Balrothery, had town commissioners under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act 1854. This became a town council in 2002. In common with all town councils, it was abolished in 2014. The urban districts were gradually absorbed by
9858-412: The salt water pool of the 1920s Royal Victoria baths. A traditional Victorian-style park, the People's Park , lies at the eastern end of George's Street. It holds a playground, bandstand, fountains and, since 1997, tea rooms. The Pavilion Gardens was previously located at the centre of Dun Laoghaire. After years of decline, it was redeveloped and is now the site of the modern Pavilion Theatre. Beside
9964-628: The service to Dún Laoghaire. In the early 2000s, Lower George's Street underwent pedestrianisation , placing a ban on all general traffic with the exception of bus routes toward central Dublin. Bus routes coming along this road into Dún Laoghaire were re-routed along the seafront. This restriction was reversed in late 2008. Dún Laoghaire Business Association later (unsuccessfully) called for local parking charges to be reduced to one euro per hour (to compete with Dundrum Shopping Centre which then charged two euro for three hours). Regattas have taken place in Kingstown since at least 1837. Dún Laoghaire harbour
10070-475: The shoreline which began to form following the construction of the Bull Wall in 1825. The island is still growing and is currently 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long and 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) wide. In 1981, North Bull Island ( Oileán an Tairbh Thuaidh ) was designated as a UNESCO biosphere. For statistical purposes at European level, the county as a whole forms the Dublin Region – a NUTS III entity – which
10176-541: The south of the county, the topography rises steeply from sea-level at the coast to over 500 metres (1,600 ft) in just a few kilometres. This natural barrier has resulted in densely populated coastal settlements in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown and westward urban sprawl in South Dublin . In contrast, Fingal is generally rural in nature and much less densely populated than the rest of the county. Consequently, Fingal
10282-518: The status of lesser kingdom. In 1170, the ousted King of Leinster , Diarmait Mac Murchada , and his Norman allies agreed to capture Dublin at a war council in Waterford . They evaded the intercepting army of High King Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair by marching through the Wicklow Mountains , arriving outside the walls of Dublin in late September. The King of Dublin, Ascall mac Ragnaill , met with Mac Murchada for negotiations; however, while talks were ongoing,
10388-482: The worst housing conditions of anywhere in the United Kingdom , and overcrowding, disease and malnourishment were rife within central Dublin. In 1901, The Irish Times reported that the disease and mortality rates in Calcutta during the 1897 bubonic plague outbreak compared "favourably with those of Dublin at the present moment". Most of the upper and middle class residents of Dublin had moved to wealthier suburbs, and
10494-455: Was built to standard gauge . Extension southward was by the standard gauge Dalkey Atmospheric Railway publicly opened in 1844 which was the first railway to have practical and commercial application of pneumatic power. In the 1850s, the Dublin and Wicklow Railway took over both lines, converting both to Irish gauge and the latter to steam locomotive haulage whilst extending further south to Bray , Wicklow . Successor companies operating
10600-616: Was closed in 2007. Dún Laoghaire has one main shopping street, George's Street, as well as two shopping centres: the Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre and Bloomfields, the former dating from 1977. Recent years have seen some commercial development of the land around the George's Street area, including, notably, the old Pavilion Cinema and Theatre site opposite the County Hall. There is a regular antique fair held bi-monthly, on Sundays in
10706-565: Was hit by stray German bombs during the Second World War , with a couple of them landing near the People's Park at Rosmeen Gardens. Damage from the bombs was limited to buildings. The harbour, one of the largest in the country, is notable for its two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly popular with walkers, and was featured in the 1996 film Michael Collins , where Liam Neeson (as Collins) and two of his co-stars are seen walking along
10812-403: Was known as Dunleary until it was renamed Kingstown in honour of King George IV 's 1821 visit, and in 1920 was given its present name, the original Irish form from which "Dunleary" was anglicised. Over time, the town became a residential location, a seaside resort , the terminus of Ireland's first railway and the administrative centre of the former borough of Dún Laoghaire , and from 1994, of
10918-583: Was part of a warm tropical sea inhabited by an abundance of corals , crinoids and brachiopods . The oldest rocks in Dublin are the Cambrian shales located on Howth Head, which were laid down ca. 500 Mya. Disruption following the closure of the Iapetus Ocean approximately 400 Mya resulted in the formation of granite . This is now exposed at the surface from the Dublin Mountains to the coastal areas of Dún Laoghaire. 19th-century Lead extraction and smelting at
11024-658: Was put on hold due to the outbreak of the First World War but was never to be revisited as a series of missteps by the British government, such as executing the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Conscription Crisis of 1918 , fuelled the Irish revolutionary period . The IPP were nearly wiped out by Sinn Féin in the 1918 general election and, following a brief war of independence , 26 of Ireland's 32 counties seceded from
11130-424: Was replaced by an extension of the mainline railway, which was ultimately extended to the ferry port of Rosslare . The opening of the railway from Dublin saw Kingstown become a Victorian era seaside resort . Capitalising on this, a small establishment named Hayes Hotel was purchased by railway engineer William Dargan and on the same site enlarged and incorporated into the new Royal Marine Hotel in 1863. In 1880,
11236-417: Was the driving force behind Ireland's Celtic Tiger period, an era of rapid economic growth that started in the early 1990s. In stark contrast to the turn of the 20th century, Dublin entered the 21st century as one of Europe's richest cities, attracting immigrants and investment from all over the world. Dublin is the third smallest of Ireland's 32 counties by area, and the largest in terms of population. It
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