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County Dublin
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| Attractions: Arbour Hill Cemetery Book of Kells Dublin Statues Glasnevin Cemetery Guinness Storehouse Kilmainham Gaol National Botanic Gardens Temple Bar |
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| Co. Dublin Bhaile Átha Cliath Prov. Leinster Republic of Ireland |
| Major cities: Dublin, Skerries, Dun Laoghaire |
| Surface: 921 km2 Population: 1,122,600 |
In recent years County Dublin revealed itself as the pounding heart of the Celtic Tiger and held a great attraction for job seekers from Ireland and abroad. As a result about one third of the Irish population lives nowadays in one of the smallest counties. Consequently County Dublin consists of little more than the country capital, satellite towns, and business and industrial estates. In the coastal regions some villages, such as Howth, managed to to wriggle out of development plans and you even might be able to find a spot or two left suitable for sea-bathing.
The plus of Dublin's recent wild rise is the layout of an extensive modern road system. National roads radiating from Dublin's by-pass, the M50 motorway, have reduced the travelling time considerably. Moreover, thanks to the M50 Dublin's city centre is relieved from heavy lorries heading to and from the seaport. On the other hand however the urge to expand has left devastating imprints on the landscape. Secondly the road system literally has paved the way for commuters, through which Ireland became acquainted with tailbacks.
Dublin City
More or less simultaneously with the construction of the M50 the city of Dublin underwent a serious upgrading. Apparently the city expected to be relieved from traffic jams once the M50, and especially the Port Tunnel, was put to use. The city set forth to improve arterial roads such as the Liffey quays and O'Connell Street and added a tram, known as Luas, meaning speed, to the city's already comprehensive public transport system of busses and the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART), a commuter rail system.
As it turns out the positive effects of the M50 has been greatly overrated. The quays, although relieved from heavy lorries to and from Dublin Port, are still the realm of motorised vehicles. A gangway on the north bank between O'Connell Bridge and Ha'penny Bridge provides a refuge for pedestrians. The best time of day to walk the gangway is at dusk, when the bridges are illuminated, or during office hours to buy a nice strong, hot coffee, the best we've ever had in Ireland, at the coffee stall.
After decades of neglect Dublin's former high street, O'Connell Street, until 1924 known as Sackville Street, has evolved in the would-be showpiece of the city. Traffic gave up one lane in either direction to facilitate broad pavements, including a pavement that runs down the middle of the street from the Parnell Monument to the O'Connell Monument. Unfortunately the centre pavement is barely accessible due to the busses, taxis and cars which are cramped in their narrow lanes. Call us sentimental if you like, but the motley selection of puny scions and the unimaginative Spire of Dublin are just meagre substitutes for the row of majestic London Plane trees with their pale greyish trunks beneath a roof of green foliage and a fountain gifted with the nickname Floozie in the Jacuzzi.
In addition one might add that the upgrading of O'Connell Street only partially succeeded. For some reason the street is still the domain of cheap tourist shops, fast food restaurants and pubs of questionable character. More reputable businesses still prefer the Grafton area and Temple Bar. Probably Dublin just isn't big enough to maintain two high-grade shopping and entertainment districts.
Basically the small scale of Dublin holds much of the city's attraction. The city offers about everything a visitor possibly wants without losing its Irish scale, as a result of which you can visit most, if not all, must-see attractions of the city within a day.
It's a shame though that many visitors leave Dublin the next morning, after having experienced Temple Bar's nightly entertainment. We strongly recommend to prolong your stay to explore Dublin outside the beaten tourist tracks. Depending on your interests you might want to indulge yourself in Dublin's history by visiting Kilmainham Gaol, the National Museum and Arbour Hill, or you plunge in the tranquillity of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin Cemetery or Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo.
Getting Around
The best way to explore Dublin's centre is obviously on foot. If time or physical possibilities are limited you might consider to buy a City Tour ticket. City Tour busses call in at every major attraction at regular intervals and with such ticket you can hop-on and hop-off when-ever, where-ever and how often you like for 24 hours. The ticket includes discount coupons and a map, as well as a story-telling and singing driver. A free tip: check the seats on the upper floor of the roof-less busses for pigeon dirt.
City Tour is confined to the attractions in the centre of Dublin, roughly between Saint Stephen's Green in the east and the Guinness Storehouse and Phoenix Park in the west. Outside these boundaries you have to turn to regular city bus services. The fine meshed network of Dublin Bus will take you virtually everywhere you want to. Keep in mind though that the last regular busses are due to leave the terminal in the centre at about 11:30 pm. After this connections to the suburbs are maintained by a very basic service known as Nightlink. Also bare in mind that the driver doesn't have the disposal of change, and in order to have the exact money ready you might have to collect loose change in your pocket.
If you're planning to make good use of the city busses, or simply detest the substantial weight of loose coins, you must be delighted to notice that Dublin Bus offers prepaid tickets with a validity of one up to seven days.
Although you shouldn't have any problems with finding suitable accommodation in Dublin, there's a slight chance that you end up on the outskirts or even further away. In case you consider to drive to the centre ... don't. Apart from the traffic jams, which aren't confined to rush hours, you will have a hard time finding parking space. Instead you'd be better off by parking your car at the nearest Luas or Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) station.
Luas is scarcely out of the egg and has limited coverage, but will drop you off in the centre. Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) on the other hand is more mature, but you need to transfer to a bus in order to end up where the action is.
Dubh Linn vs. Bhaile Átha Cliath
According the official reading Ireland's capital was established at the end of the ninth century by Vikings who disembarked their longboats where the River Liffey met the River Poddle. In the course of the years the River Poddle is forced underground and is nowadays a banal stream that joins the Liffey near Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
In the Viking era however a lot of mud whirled up at the meeting of the two torrents, inciting the settlers to name their outpost Dubh Linn. The exact translation of Dubh Linn is indecisive as the name may originate from the native Irish, in which case it means Black Pool, or from the Scandinavian settlers, who might have called the settlement Deep Pond.
Coincidentally the Vikings planned their operating base a few hundred metres downstream of an ancient artificial ford made of hurdles. Átha Cliath, or Ford of the Hurdles, which was located near Heuston Station, had been an important reference point for the native Irish and instead of adopting the foreigners name of the city they referred to it as Bhaile Átha Cliath, or Town at the Ford of the Hurdles.
The Irish designation passed into oblivion in the course of history and the name Dubh Linn, Anglicised to Dublin, gained general currency. In the course of the twentieth century nationalists reinstated Bhaile Átha Cliath which is currently the official Irish name of the city.