Dublin

placed in the category: Cities

Dublin is the largest city in Ireland, and at the same time, its capital. This city is situated at the heart of the Dublin Region, near the centre of the east coast of Ireland. Found nearby the vicinity of Dublin is the River Liffey. The name of the city, Dublin, literally means "black pool," from the words Dubh Linn in Irish. It now has a more common name in its modern form Baile Atha Cliath which means "town of the hurdled ford."

Dublin, as the capital of Ireland, is rich with culture and history, but at the same time the city is still contemporary and modern. In fact, it ranks 10th in the global Financial Centres Index this year, from 13th the previous year. Compared to other European capital cities, this city has one of the fastest growths in population. Part of the history of the city is it was once the Kingdom of Dublin, after originally being founded as a settlement by Vikings. It was then made as the centre of the island after the Norman invasion.

The earliest recording of humans living in the area was in the writings of Ptolemy, the Greek cartographer and astronomer. He called the settlement in the area as Eblana Civitas. The city now keeps its Anglicised Irish name. The town was established by the Norse, after a monastery was built there.

This city is one of the most youthful in Europe, having an estimated 50% of its population at an age of 25 and younger. Receiving the most votes as the friendliest city in Europe, Dublin won the title back in 2007, and once again this year. The nightlife in this city is very vibrant, featuring a number of the most popular pubs and nightclubs found around the area of St. Stephen's Green.

Dublin City features a balance between a rich cultural background and a vibrant youthful lifestyle. The economic growth of the city is also something to be mentioned, often having double-digit rate of growth. The people of Dublin welcome their guests and visitors in a very kind and friendly manner.

Dublin Castle

The Dublin Castle is one of the most famous landmarks in Dublin City. It is found close to Dame Street of Dublin, Ireland. This castle served as the symbol of power as it was ruled by the English, and later by the Lordship of Ireland, then the Kingdom of Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and finally the Irish Free State was established in 1922. Throughout its history, the Dublin Castle played numerous roles as the time passed by. It was originally built as a defensive structure, and later, the royal family resided in the castle. In the past, this castle was used more as a defensive complex, having its walls built tall and strong with good ditches.

The design is typically of a Norman courtyard, being bounded by strong walls and having circular towers at each of the four corners. It also stood as a keep, with a central square formed inside the defensive walls. A number of additions were made to the complex, with the Great Hall being the most significant among the additions. The Great Hall was used for different purposes as well. It was used as the Court of Law, as Parliament House, and a Banqueting Hall. This building was demolished after suffering damages from a fire. The wooden structures from the Middle Ages have been changed, and only the Record Tower is now the sole survivor of the castle's original fortification.

Found at the southern part of the Upper Yard's buildings, the State Apartments are rooms which have been used for different functions. Nowadays, the richly decorated rooms are being used for official events by the Irish Government. Such events include the president's inauguration, launching of policies, and stat visits. Previously, the rooms were used to accommodate and entertain the royalty's visitors, and the public. A lot of tourists and travelers go to Ireland just to marvel at the sight of this building. The Dublin Castle is not only a symbol of Dublin's rich history and culture, but it also symbolizes how Dublin and its people have evolved into the contemporary setting of today.

The Custom House

The Custom House is a prominent landmark in Dublin, Ireland, found between the Talbot Memorial Bridge, and the Butt Bridge, along the north bank of River Liffey. Its structure and neoclassical design is considered to be a masterpiece, an architectural crown of the city. It was built back in 1791, and took 10 years to finish. This is considered to be the James Gandon's greatest achievement. He was brought over from England to design and help build this masterpiece. Sculptures and coats-of-arms could be found at different parts of the building, and those were sculpted by Edward Smyth, a famous Irish sculptor. The sculptures and coats-of-arms represent the rivers of Ireland.

It is currently used by the local government as it houses the Heritage and Local Government, and the Department of Environment. The Custom House was originally used to keep records of custom duties, but this function later on became obsolete. Back in 1921, the Irish Republican Army burnt down the Custom House during the Anglo-Irish War or the Irish War of Independence, attempting to disturb the rule of the British over Ireland. The central dome collapsed as the interior was destroyed completely, and a considerable amount of irreplaceable records and historical data were lost to the fire. The lost records included parish documents, records of births, deaths, and marriages, some dating back to the Middle Ages.

Although the Irish Republican Army was successful at burning the building, most of them were caught at their attempt to flee.

As seen from the exterior of the Custom House, the structure has been restored after the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The restoration was done by the Irish Free State government. It is noticeable that the dome is darker than the original material that was used. This is because the government wanted to use promote the local resources of Ireland, so they used Irish Ardbraccan limestone. The rest of the structure was also restored and cleaned in the 1980s by the Office of Public Works. The restoration of this building may also symbolize the recreation of the people of Dublin after going through the different points in history of the city