Dublin: An Introduction

Dublin has moved up in the world from an outdated city struggling to cope with modern demands to now being one of the most fashionable destinations in Europe for a weekend break. Dublin is both the largest city in Ireland and the capital in Ireland. With a population of over 1.1million people, Dublin is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe.

This history of Dublin dates back to the 1st Century BC and to the Vikings. Then the city was called Dubh Linn or ‘Black Pool’ due to the colour of the River Liffey. Baile Átha Cliath which was founded in 988 was situated nearby and eventually the two towns amalgamated to form one. From the 17th Century Dublin rapidly expanded under British rule and became one of the most fashionable cities in Europe. For a short time Dublin was the second city in the British Empire after London. Soon afterwards Dublin went into decline and the fashionable reputation was lost.

Dublin is a massive centre for culture in Ireland with many top quality museums located there. The National Gallery of Ireland is probably the most famous of these museums and is home to many world famous works of arts by artists such as Caravaggio, Monet, Delacroix and many many more. If you fancy some Irish pub culture you won’t need to look far and one experience that every visitor to Ireland should experience is that of sitting in a pub while watching the world go by and drinking a pint of the ‘black stuff.’