A Brief History of Dublin

There is evidence suggesting that the existence of Dublin dates back as far as the second century when it was known as Eblana, however Dublin's official date of establishment is 988 AD, the city celebrated a proud millenium in 1988.

Norman Vikings were the first settlers of the city, and many artefacts, old walls and buildings have been uncovered on the first site, Wood Quay, in the present City Centre. This site was a cause of much scandal, furore and protest when the Dublin City Council chose to build their head offices on this very site, covering over much of the site for ever.

Dublin was then captured in the 9th century by the Danes which saw the beginning of three centuries of unrest and rebellion from the native Irish where they even managed to gain control of the city on several occasions. The Danes were finally expelled by Henry II, king of England.

Up to the mid 17th century Dublin was not much more than a small medieval town that enjoyed the benefits of a protective wall. Then in 1649 the English Civil Wars ended and the infamous Oliver Cromwell arrived on the scene. At the time there was only around 9,000 residents, but within half a century Protestant refugees  pouring into the city from the continent  formed the catalyst for a surge in growth. The city's size and wealth developed at an astounding rate which saw Dublin becoming the second city in the British Empire. The wealth and buzz of Dublin made it an exciting place for the Anglo-Irish aristocracy, but saw the basic civil rights of the native Roman Catholics denied.

1800 was a key year in the history of Dublin which saw the Act of Union between England and Ireland where the Irish Parliament was abolished and the status of Dublin dropped dramatically. This saw the decline of a fine city for the next century until the irish won their independence in 1922. This was no easy task and had failed several times, the key moment in the battle for independence in many peoples eyes was over Easter 1916 when the 1916 Rising took place followed by the War of Independence. Dublin was key to much of this fighting and much of the city lay in ruins, the GPO (General Post Office) was the focus for much of the fighting with the Dublin Rebels holed up inside.

Dublin then became the political, economic, and cultural center of Ireland. The Government of Ireland, Dail Eireann, sits in Leinster House, Dublin. This is between Kildare Street and Merrion Square and is an impressive building.


The Four Courts, seat of Ireland's judiciary, and the Custom House, both standing by the north banks of the River Liffey are excellent examples of Dublin's late 18th-century architecture. Both buildings were damaged heavily during the Civil War but have been restored. Dublin Castle is on Dame Street in the south of the city, building began in 1204, but it was almost totally rebuilt in Georgian style in the 18th century. The castle was the seat of English authority in Ireland until 1922. Today it is the site of the inaugurations of Ireland's presidents and also contains the well known Chester Beatty Library which is free to enter and contains many interesting international exhibitions.

Near the castle are Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedrals, Dublin's two Protestant cathedrals. Both date from Dublin's earliest days as a Viking settlement. They were extensively rebuilt by the Anglo-Norman invaders of the late 12th and early 13th centuries and were again rebuilt in the 19th century. Ireland's original Parliament House, now the Bank of Ireland in College Green, dates from the 18th century and is also in Georgian style.



Dublin  city's most famous business is the Guinness Brewery, which was founded in 1759. Although with the rapid development of the local economy and the Celtic Tiger of recent years the manufacture and export of computer hardware and software has replaced Guinness as the leading employers, Google and Intel have European HQs in the Dublin area.