Dublin

Dublin, is the primate and capital city of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath  or Áth Cliath . The English name is derived from the Irish Dubh Linn (meaning "black pool"). The city has an urban population of over 1 million people and is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's primary city following the Norman invasion. It is currently ranked 29th in the Global Financial Centres Index, has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city, and is listed by the GaWC as a global city (with a ranking of Alpha), placing Dublin among the top 30 cities in the world.It is a historical and contemporary cultural centre for the country, as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administration, economy and industry.

Etymology

Dublin skyline looking east.

The name Dublin is derived from the Irish name Dubh Linn (meaning "black pool"). The common name for the city in modern Irish is Baile Átha Cliath (meaning "town of the hurdled ford"). Áth Cliath is a place-name referring to a fording point of the Liffey in the vicinity of Father Mathew Bridge (Church Street). Baile Átha Cliath was an early Christian monastery which is believed to have been situated in the area of Aungier Street currently occupied by Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church.

The subsequent Scandinavian settlement was on the River Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey, to the East of Christchurch, in an area now known as Wood Quay. The Dubh Linn was a lake used by the Scandinavians to moor their ships and was connected to the Liffey by the Poddle. These lakes were covered during the early 18th century, and as the city expanded they were largely forgotten about. The Dubh Linn was situated where the Castle Garden is now located, opposite the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle. Táin Bó Cuailgne also known as The Cattle Raid of Cooley refers to Dublind rissa ratter Áth Cliath, meaning Dublin, which is called Ath Cliath. In Irish, Dubh is correctly pronounced as Duv or Duf. The city's original pronunciation is preserved in Old Norse as Dyflin, Old English as Difelin, and modern Manx as Divlyn. Historically, in the Gaelic script, bh was written with a dot over the b, rendering 'Duḃ Linn' or 'Duḃlinn'. Those without a knowledge of Irish omitted the dot and spelled the name as Dublin.

History

 History of Dublin

Dublin Castle

Christ Church Cathedral

The GPO on O'Connell Street was at the centre of the 1916 Easter Rising.

The writings of the Greek astronomer and cartographer Ptolemy provide perhaps the earliest reference to human habitation in the area now known as Dublin. In around A.D. 140 he referred to a settlement he called Eblana Civitas. The settlement 'Dubh Linn' dates perhaps as far back as the 1st century BC and later a monastery was built there, though the town was established in about 841 by the Norse. The modern city retains the Anglicised Irish name of the former and the original Irish name of the latter.

Dublin was ruled by the Norse for most of the time between 841 and 999, when it was sacked by Brian Boru, the King of Cashel. Although Dublin still had a Norse king after the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, Norse influence waned under a growing Celtic supremacy until the Norman invasion of Ireland which was launched from Wales in 1169-1172. The last high king (Ard Rí) of Dublin also had local city administration via its Corporation from the Middle Ages. This represented the city's guild-based oligarchy until it was reformed in the 1840s on increasingly democratic lines. In 1348, the city was hit by the Black Death,a lethal plague that ravaged Europe in the mid-14th century.

From the 17th century the city expanded rapidly, helped by the Wide Streets Commission. The population grew from about 10,000 in 1600 to over 50,000 in 1700, and this in spite of another plague epidemic in 1649-51. Georgian Dublin was, for a short time, the second city of the British Empire after London and the fifth largest European city. Much of Dublin's most notable architecture dates from this time. In 1759, the founding of the Guinness brewery at St. James's Gate resulted in a considerable economic impact for the city. For much of the time since its foundation, the Guinness brewery was the largest employer in the city but Catholics were confined to the lower echelons of employment at Guinness and only entered management level in the 1960s. After Irish independence the Guinness Corporate headquarters were moved to London in the 1930s to avoid Irish taxation and a rival brewery to Dublin was opened in London at Park Royal to supply the UK. In 1742 Handel's "Messiah" was performed for the first time in New Musick Hall in Fishamble Street with 26 boys and five men from the combined choirs of St.Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals participating.

After the Act of Union, 1800, the seat of government moved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London. Dublin entered a period of decline, but still remained the centre of administration and a transport hub for much of Ireland. Dublin played no major role in the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries: Ireland had no significant sources of coal, the fuel of the time, and Dublin was not a centre of ship manufacture, the other main driver of industrial development in Britain and Ireland.Belfast developed much faster than Dublin during this period on a mixture of international trade, factory-based linen cloth production and shipbuilding.

O'Connell Bridge

The Easter Rising of 1916, the War of Independence (Anglo-Irish War), and Irish Civil War resulted in a significant amount of physical destruction in the city centre. The Irish Free State government rebuilt the city centre and located the Dáil (parliament) in Leinster House. Since the beginning of Anglo-Norman rule in the 12th century, the city has functioned as the capital in varying geopolitical entities: Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541), Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800), island as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), and the Irish Republic (1919–1922). From 1922, following the partition of Ireland, it became the capital of the Irish Free State (1922–1949) and now is the capital of Ireland. One of the memorials to commemorate that time is the Garden of Remembrance.

Since 1997, the landscape of Dublin has changed immensely, with enormous private sector and state development of housing, transport, and business. (See also Development and Preservation in Dublin). Some well-known Dublin street corners are still named for the pub or business which used to occupy the site before closure or redevelopment.

Government

Dublin City Hall

 Local

The city is governed by Dublin City Council, which is presided over by the Lord Mayor, who is elected for a yearly term and resides in the Mansion House. Dublin City Council is based in two major buildings. Meetings take place in the headquarters at Dublin City Hall, the former Royal Exchange taken over for city government use in the 1850s. Many of its administrative staff are based in the Civic Offices on Wood Quay.

The council is a unicameral assembly of 52 members, elected every five years from Local Election Areas. The party with the majority of seats (or a coalition of parties who form a majority) decides who sits on what committee, what policies are followed, and who becomes Lord Mayor. Chaired by the Lord Mayor, the Council passes an annual budget for spending on housing, traffic management, refuse, drainage, planning, etc. The Dublin City Manager is responsible for the implementation of decisions of the City Council.

The current ruling coalition is the Democratic Alliance, made up of Labour and Fine Gael. Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, People Before Profit Alliance and non-party councillors act as opposition. The current Lord Mayor is Gerry Breen, who was elected in June 2010. In 2008, the national government announced plans for local government reform, with the biggest change being plans for an elected Mayor of Dublin with executive powers. The Environment Minister John Gormley said that the new mayor will make local government services more efficient for the capital's inhabitants.[The plan also includes local plebiscites, petition rights, participatory budgeting and city meetings.

National

Government Buildings

The national parliament of Ireland, the Oireachtas, consists of the President of Ireland and two houses, Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). All three are based in Dublin. The President of Ireland lives in Áras an Uachtaráin, the former residence of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State in the city's largest park, Phoenix Park. Both houses of the Oireachtas meet in Leinster House, a former ducal palace on the south side. The building has been the home of Irish parliaments since the creation of the Irish Free State. The old Irish Houses of Parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland are in College Green.

Government Buildings house the Department of the Taoiseach, the Council Chamber (used for the weekly Cabinet meetings), the Department of Finance and the Office of the Attorney General. It consists of a main building (completed 1911) with two wings (completed 1921) and was designed by Thomas Manley Dean and Sir Aston Webb as the Royal College of Science. In 1921 the House of Commons of Southern Ireland met here. Given its location next to Leinster House, the Irish Free State government took over the two wings of the building to serve as a temporary home for some ministries, while the central building became the College of Technology (part of UCD) until 1989. Both it and Leinster House, meant to be a temporary home of parliament, became permanent homes.

Geography

The Northside of Dublin city.

Landscape

Dublin city covers a land area of approximately 115 km2. It is situated at the mouth of the River Liffey, which cuts through the lowlands and flows into the Irish Sea. In the south, Dublin is bordered by a low mountain range. The surrounding counties to the north and west of Dublin are surrounded by flat farmland.Traditionally, a north versus south division has existed in Dublin with the River Liffey as the dividing line. The Northside is generally seen as working-class, while the Southside is seen as middle and upper middle class.

The divide is punctuated by examples of Dublin "sub-culture" stereotypes, with upper-middle class constituents seen as tending towards an accent and demeanour synonymous with the Southside, and working-class Dubliners seen as tending towards accents and demeanour associated with Northside and inner-city Dublin neighbourhoods. The economic divide in Dublin is east-west as well as north-south. There are also social divisions evident between the coastal suburbs in the east of the city, including those on the northside, and the newer developments further to the west.

Climate

Dublin experiences a maritime temperate climate characterised by mild winters, cool summers, and an absence of temperature extremes. The average maximum January temperature is 7.6 °C (46 °F), while the average maximum July temperature is 18.9 °C (66 °F).[21] In recent years, summer temperatures have risen above historical averages e.g. 31 °C (88 °F) in July 2006, over 12 °C (54 °F) higher than the average maximum. Recent heat waves include the European heat wave of 2003 and European heat wave of 2006. Typically, the coldest months are January, February and March. The winter of 2009/2010 was the coldest since 1963 with a record low of −12.4 °C (10 °F) recorded at Casement Aerodrome in West Dublin. On average, the sunniest months are May and June, the wettest month is December with 76 mm of rain, and the driest month is February with 50 mm.

Dublin typically records 50% less rainfall than the west of Ireland. The average annual precipitation is 732.7 mm. The main precipitation in winter is rain, however snow showers do occur between December and March. Lying snow is not common although there was over ten days of lying snow recorded in January 2010. Hail is more common than snow, and is most likely during the winter and spring months. Due to Dublin's northerly latitude, it experiences long summer days and short winter days. Strong winds from Atlantic storm systems can affect Dublin, but is less affected when compared to other parts of Ireland due to its easterly location. Strong winds are most common in autumn, but can occur at anytime.

Landmarks

Dublin has many landmarks and monuments dating back hundreds of years. One of the oldest is Dublin Castle, which was first founded as a major defensive work on the orders of King John of England in 1204, shortly after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, when it was commanded that a castle be built with strong walls and good ditches for the defence of the city, the administration of justice, and the protection of the King’s treasure. Largely complete by 1230, the castle was of typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square without a keep, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. Sited to the south-east of Norman Dublin, the castle formed one corner of the outer perimeter of the city, using the River Poddle as a natural means of defence.

One of Dublin's newest monuments is the Spire of Dublin, or officially titled the "Monument of Light". It is a 121.2 metres (398 ft) conical spire made of stainless steel. This new spire replaces Nelson's Pillar, which stood on the same location, and it is intended to mark Dublin's place in the 21st Century. It is located on O'Connell Street in the centre of Dublin. The spire was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, who sought an "Elegant and dynamic simplicity bridging art and technology". During the day it maintains its steel look, but at dusk the monument appears to merge into the sky. The base of the monument is lit and the top is illuminated to provide a beacon in the night sky across the city. Other popular landmarks and monuments include the Mansion House, the Anna Livia monument, the Molly Malone statue, Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral, and Áras an Uachtaráin.

Parks

Dublin has more green spaces per square kilometre than any other European capital city, and 97% of city residents live within 300 metres of a park. The city council provides 2.96 hectares (7.3 acres) of public green space per 1,000 people and 255 playing fields. The council also plants around 5,000 trees annually and manages over 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of parks.

There are many park areas around the city, with the Phoenix Park, Herbert Park and St Stephen's Green being the most popular. The Phoenix Park is 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses 707 hectares (1,750 acres) one of the largest walled city parks in Europe.The English name comes from the Irish fionn uisce meaning "clear water". It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the 17th century has been home to a herd of wild Fallow deer. The residence of the President of Ireland (Áras an Uachtaráin), which was built in 1754, is located in the park. The park is also home to Dublin Zoo, the official residence of the United States Ambassador, and Ashtown Castle. Music concerts have been performed in the park by such acts as Coldplay, Duran Duran, Robbie Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ian Brown, Justice, Kanye West, Arcade Fire and Tom Waits.

St Stephen's Green is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named for it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies and the city terminus of one of Dublin's Luas tram lines. St Anne's Park is a public park and recreational facility, shared between Raheny and Clontarf, both suburbs on the North Side of Dublin. The park, the second largest municipal park in Dublin, is part of a former 2 km² (500 acre) estate assembled by members of the Guinness family, beginning with Benjamin Lee Guinness in 1835 (the largest municipal park is nearby (North) Bull Island, also shared between Clontarf and Raheny).

 Economy

 Economy of Dublin

International Financial Services Centre

Dublin has been at the centre of Ireland's phenomenal economic growth and subsequent economic contraction over the last decade, a period (often of double-digit growth) referred to as the Celtic Tiger years. In 2009, Dublin was listed as the fourth-richest city in the world. According to one source, Dublin is now the world's 25th most expensive city. It is also listed as the tenth most expensive city in the world in which to live.However, it had the second highest wages for a city in the world, ahead of both New York City and London, though behind Zürich but as of 2009 has dropped to tenth highest. In 2005, around 800,000 people were employed in the Greater Dublin Area, of whom around 600,000 were employed in the services sector and 200,000 in the industrial sector.

Guinness has been brewed at the St. James's Gate Brewery since 1759. Since the advent of the Celtic Tiger years, however, a large number of global pharmaceutical, information and communications technology companies have located in Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. For example, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, PayPal, Yahoo!, Facebook and Pfizer (among others) now have European headquarters and/or operational bases in the city. Intel and Hewlett-Packard have large manufacturing plants in Leixlip, County Kildare, 15 km (9 mi) to the west.

Banking, finance and commerce are also important in the city. There are currently more than 430 financial operations allowed to trade within the International Financial Services Centre. According to the official website it is home to more than half of the world's 50 largest banks. Many international firms have established major headquarters in the city, such as Citibank and Commerzbank. Also located in Dublin is the Irish Stock Exchange (ISEQ), Internet Neutral Exchange (INEX) and Irish Enterprise Exchange (IEX). The economic boom led to a sharp increase in construction, with large redevelopment projects such as the Dublin Docklands and Spencer Dock. Completed projects include the Convention Centre, The O2, and the Grand Canal Theatre. Proposed projects such as the Point Village Watchtower, Heuston Gate, and U2 Tower, are currently delayed due to the difficult economic climate.

Transport

The Luas tram network.

Transport in Dublin

Dublin is the main hub of the country's road network. The M50 motorway, a semi-ring road which runs around the south, west and north of the city, connects important national primary routes in the state to the regions. As of 2008, a toll of €2 applies on the West-Link, two adjacent bridges that tower above the River Liffey near the town of Lucan. The West-Link Toll Bridge was replaced by the eFlow barrier-free tolling system in August 2008, with a three-tiered charge system based on electronic tags and car pre-registration.

To complete the ring road, an eastern bypass is also proposed for the city of Dublin. The first half of this project is the Dublin Port Tunnel which opened in late 2006 and mainly caters to heavy vehicles. The plan to build the eastern bypass around Dublin has been effectively shelved by the Department of Transport as there are no funds available for the expected €1 billion project. The capital is also surrounded by an inner and outer orbital route. The inner orbital route runs roughly around the heart of the Georgian city and the outer orbital route runs largely along the natural circle formed by Dublin's two canals, the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal, as well as the North and South Circular Roads.

Dublin is served by an extensive network of nearly 200 bus routes which serve all areas of the city and suburbs. The majority of these are controlled by Dublin Bus (Bus Átha Cliath), but a number of smaller companies also operate. Fares are generally calculated on a stage system based on distance travelled. There are several different levels of fares, which apply on most services. Certain routes (particularly Xpresso) use a different fare system. The Dublin Suburban Rail network is a system of five rail lines serving mainly commuters in the Greater Dublin Area, though some trains go even further to commuter towns such as Drogheda and Dundalk. One of these is an electrified line that runs along Dublin Bay and is known as the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) line. A two-line light rail/tram network called the Luas opened in 2004 and has proved popular in the areas it serves. Five new luas lines are planned, the last of which will be opened in 2014, with the two existing lines set to be joined up by 2012.

Dublin Bikes

There are plans to begin building work on the Dublin Metro (subway / underground) system set out in the Irish government's 2005 Transport 21 plan within the next few years. Although not confirmed, it is believed that the metro will be fully segregated from all traffic which will mean it will not disrupt traffic when in operation, unlike an on-street Luas Tram or the DART. The Metro North will bring rail access to areas and institutions currently lacking it, such as the Mater Hospital, Drumcondra (Croke Park, inter-city and suburban rail stop), Dublin City University, Ballymun, Swords and Dublin Airport. The Metro West will serve the large suburbs of Tallaght, Clondalkin and Blanchardstown.

Dublin Bikes is a public bicycle rental scheme which has been operated in the city of Dublin since 2009. The scheme uses 450 French-made unisex bicycles with a silver colour.Dublin was the 17th city to begin using this scheme (predecessors include Copenhagen, Lyon, and Paris), though Dublin City Council suggested the Dublin launch was better. The scheme is sponsored by JCDecaux.

 Education

Trinity College

Dublin is the primary centre of education in Ireland, with three universities and many other higher education institutions. There are 20 third-level institutes in the city. Dublin will be European Capital of Science in 2012. The University of Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland dating from the 16th century, and is located in the city centre. Its sole constituent college, Trinity College, was established by Royal Charter in 1592 under Elizabeth I and was closed to Roman Catholics until Catholic Emancipation. The Catholic hierarchy then banned Roman Catholics from attending it until 1970. It is situated in the city centre, on College Green, and has 15,000 students.

The National University of Ireland (NUI) has its seat in Dublin, which is also the location of the associated constituent university of University College Dublin (UCD), the largest university in Ireland with over 22,000 students. UCD's main campus at Belfield is located about 5 km south east of the city centre. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical school which is a recognised college of the NUI, it is situated at St. Stephen's Green in the city centre. The National University of Ireland, Maynooth, another constituent university of the NUI, is in neighbouring Co. Kildare, about 25 km (16 mi) from the city centre. The Institute of European Affairs is also in Dublin.

Research administration building, Belfield campus, University College Dublin.

Dublin City University (DCU) specialises in business, engineering, and science courses, particularly with relevance to industry. It has around 10,000 students, and is located about 7 km north of the city. Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is a modern technical college and is the country's largest non-university third-level institution. It specialises in technical subjects but also offers many arts and humanities courses. It is soon to be relocated to a new campus at Grangegorman. Two suburbs of Dublin, Tallaght and Blanchardstown have Institutes of Technology: Institute of Technology, Tallaght, and Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown. Portobello College has its degrees conferred through the University of Wales. Dublin Business School (DBS) is Ireland's largest private third level institution with over 9,000 students. The college is located on Aungier Street. The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (DLIADT) support training and research in art, design and media technology. The National College of Ireland (NCI) is also based in Dublin. The Economic and Social Research Institute, a social science research institute, is based on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2.

The Irish public administration and management training centre has its base in Dublin, the Institute of Public Administration provides a range of undergraduate and post graduate awards via the National University of Ireland and in some instances, Queen's University Belfast. There are also smaller specialised colleges, including Griffith College Dublin, The Gaiety School of Acting and the New Media Technology College.

Demographics

The City of Dublin is the area administered by Dublin City Council, but the term "Dublin" normally refers to the contiguous urban area which includes parts of the adjacent local authority areas of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. Together, the four areas form the traditional County Dublin. This area is sometimes known as the Dublin Region. The population of the administrative area controlled by the City Council was 505,739 in the 2006 census, while the population of the urban area was 1,045,769. The County Dublin population was 1,186,159, and that of the Greater Dublin Area 1,661,185. The city's population is expanding rapidly, and it is estimated by the CSO that it will reach 2.1 million by 2020.

Since the late 1990s, Dublin has experienced a significant level of net immigration. Foreign nationals in the city are primarily young and single, with the greatest numbers come from the EU, especially the United Kingdom, Poland and Lithuania. There is also a considerable number from outside Europe, particularly China and Nigeria. One section of central Dublin is now known as Little Africa. Dublin is home to a greater proportion of new arrivals than any other parts of the country. 60% of Ireland's Asian population lives in Dublin even though less than 40% of the overall population live in the Greater Dublin Area. By 2006, the percentage of foreign-born population had increased to 14.5% for the state and 17.3% in Dublin.

Panoramic view of Dublin.

Culture

National Museum of Ireland

Fine arts

The city has a world-famous literary history, having produced many prominent literary figures, including Nobel laureates William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett. Other influential writers and playwrights from Dublin include Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and the creator of Dracula, Bram Stoker. It is arguably most famous, however, as the location of the greatest works of James Joyce. His most celebrated work, Ulysses, is set in Dublin and full of topical detail. Dubliners is a collection of short stories by Joyce about incidents and characters typical of residents of the city in the early part of the 20th century. Additional widely celebrated writers from the city include J. M. Synge, Seán O'Casey, Brendan Behan, Maeve Binchy, and Roddy Doyle. Ireland's biggest libraries and literary museums are found in Dublin, including the National Print Museum of Ireland and National Library of Ireland. In July 2010, Dublin was named as a UNESCO City of Literature, joining Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa City, Iowa with the permanent title.

Book of Kells

There are several theatres within the city centre, and various world famous actors have emerged from the Dublin theatrical scene, including Noel Purcell, Sir Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Rea, Colin Farrell, Colm Meaney and Gabriel Byrne. The best known theatres include the Gaiety, the Abbey, the Olympia, the Gate, and the new Grand Canal Theatre. The Gaiety specialises in musical and operatic productions, and is popular for opening its doors after the evening theatre production to host a variety of live music, dancing, and films. The Abbey was founded in 1904 by a group that included Yeats with the aim of promoting indigenous literary talent. It went on to provide a breakthrough for some of the city's most famous writers, such as Synge, Yeats himself and George Bernard Shaw. The Gate was founded in 1928 to promote European and American Avant Garde works. The Grand Canal Theatre is a new 2,111 capacity world class theatre which opened on 18 March 2010 in the Grand Canal Dock.

Dublin is also the focal point for much of Irish Art and the Irish artistic scene. The Book of Kells, a world-famous manuscript produced by Celtic Monks in A.D. 800 and an example of Insular art, is on display in Trinity College. The Chester Beatty Library houses the famous collection of manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and decorative arts assembled by American mining millionaire (and honorary Irish citizen) Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968). The collections date from 2700 B.C. onwards and are drawn from Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Work by local artists is often put on public display around St. Stephen's Green, the main public park in the city centre. In addition large art galleries are found across the city, including the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery, the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, The City Arts Centre, The Douglas Hyde Gallery, The Project Arts Centre and The Royal Hibernian Academy. Three branches of the National Museum of Ireland are located in Dublin: Archaeology in Kildare Street, Decorative Arts and History in Collins Barracks and Natural History in Merrion Street.

Performing arts

Dublin is home to many acclaimed dramatic, musical and operatic companies, including: Festival Productions, Lyric Opera Productions, The Pioneers Musical & Dramatic Society, The Glasnevin Musical Society, Second Age Theatre Company, Opera Theatre Company, Opera Ireland among others. Ireland is well known for its love of baroque music, which is highly acclaimed at Trinity College. Perhaps the most famous Dublin theatre company is the hugely renowned Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society which has been in existence since 1913. The company produced full scale productions of popular musicals and operettas including Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Mikado, Guys and Dolls, The Pirates of Penzance, Me and My Girl, My Fair Lady, The Yeoman of the Guard, Gigi, Fiddler on the Roof, The Gondoliers, Anything Goes, The Merry Widow, Iolanthe, The Producers and HMS Pinafore. At present, the society is performing a tribute concert to the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein at the National Concert Hall. The society will recreate their 1913 production of The Mikado this November 2010 at the NCH.

Temple Bar

 Entertainment

There is a vibrant nightlife in Dublin, which is reputedly one of the most youthful cities in Europe, with estimates of 50% of citizens being younger than 25. In 2009, Dublin was voted the friendliest city in Europe. There are several pubs across the city centre, with the area around St. Stephen's Green, especially Harcourt Street, Camden Street, Wexford Street and Leeson Street, having the city's most popular nightclubs and pubs. The internationally best-known area for nightlife is the Temple Bar area just south of the River Liffey. To some extent, the area has become a hot spot for tourists, including stag and hen parties from Britain. It was developed as Dublin's cultural quarter (an idea proposed by local politician Charlie Haughey), and does retain this spirit as a centre for small arts productions, photographic and artists' studios, and in the form of street performers and intimate small music venues. Recently, however, it has been criticised as overpriced, false and dirty by Lonely Planet. It is regarded, in general, by locals as kitch with false "ye olde Irish" pretensions and best left to tourists. The areas around Leeson Street, Harcourt Street, South William Street and Camden/George's Street are popular nightlife spots for locals.

Live music is popularly played on streets and at venues throughout Dublin in general and the city has produced several musicians and groups of international success, including U2, Westlife, The Dubliners, The Thrills, Horslips, The Boomtown Rats, Boyzone, Ronan Keating, Thin Lizzy, Paddy Casey, Sinéad O'Connor, The Script and My Bloody Valentine. The two best known cinemas in the city centre are the Savoy Cinema and the Cineworld Cinema, both north of the Liffey. Alternative and special-interest cinema can be found in the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, in the Screen Cinema on d'Olier Street and in the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield. Across suburban Dublin are located large modern multiscreen cinemas. Situated on the Liffey at the Eastlink tollbridge, The O2, has played host to many world renowned performers.

Shopping

Clerys Department Store

Dublin is a popular shopping spot for both Irish people and tourists. Dublin city centre has several shopping districts, including Grafton Street, Henry Street, Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, Jervis Shopping Centre, Powerscourt and the newly refurbished Ilac Shopping Centre. On Grafton Street, the most famous shops include Brown Thomas and its sister shop BT2. Brown Thomas also houses several boutiques such as Hermès, Tiffany's, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. The city is the location of large department stores, such as Clerys on O'Connell Street, Arnotts on Henry Street, Brown Thomas on Grafton Street and Debenham's on Henry Street. Grafton Street is nearly as renowned for its buskers and street-performers as for its shopping.

Grafton Street

A major €800m development for Dublin city centre, known as the "Northern Quarter" is now in doubt. The development was to see the construction of 47 new shops, 175 apartments and a four-star hotel. Dublin City Council gave Arnotts planning permission for the plans to change the area bounded by Henry Street, O'Connell Street, Abbey Street and Liffey Street. Following appeals to An Bord Pleanála, the scale of the development, which was to have included a sixteen-storey tower, was reduced. The redevelopment was also to include 14 new cafes along with a 149-bed hotel. Prince's Street, which runs off O'Connell Street, was to become a full urban street and pedestrian thoroughfare. Construction was due to begin in August 2008, but was delayed. In November 2008 it was announced that the Northern Quarter would open in 2013.In July 2010 the project was effectively abandoned as Anglo Irish Bank and Ulster Bank took control of Arnotts due to the large debts incurred in pursuing the development. A redevelopment of the Carlton cinema site further up O'Connell Street is currently being developed by Crossidge Developments, who were also responsible for the construction of Dundrum Town Centre. The development will be anchored by British department store John Lewis.

The city retains a thriving market culture, despite the arrival of new shopping developments and the loss of some of Dublin's traditional market sites. Several historic locations remain, including Moore Street, one of the city's oldest trading districts. In addition, there has been a significant growth in local farmers' markets and other markets, while 2007 saw the Dublin Food Co-op, the city's only wholefoods co-operative, relocate to a large warehouse in The Liberties area where it is now also home to many market and community events. Suburban Dublin has seen the completion of several modern retail centres. These include Dundrum Town Centre, Blanchardstown Centre, The Square in Tallaght, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin, Northside Shopping Centre in Coolock, and Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords.

 Media

Dublin is the centre of both media and communications in Ireland, with many newspapers, radio stations, television stations and telephone companies having their headquarters there. RTÉ is Ireland's national state broadcaster, and is based in Donnybrook. Fair City is the broadcaster's capital-based soap, located in the fictional Dublin suburb of Carraigstown. TV3, City Channel and Setanta Sports are also based in Dublin. Dublin is home to national commercial radio networks Today FM and Newstalk, as well as numerous local stations. The main infrastructure and offices of An Post and telecommunications companies such as Eircom, as well as mobile/cellular operators Meteor, Vodafone, O2 and 3 are all located in the capital. Dublin is also the headquarters of important national newspapers such as The Irish Times and Irish Independent, as well as local newspapers such as The Evening Herald.

The most popular radio stations in Dublin, by adult (15+) listenership share, are RTÉ Radio 1 (30.3%), FM104 (13.3%), 98FM (11.9%), RTÉ 2fm (10.4%), Q102 (7%), Spin 1038 (7%), Newstalk (6.8%), Today FM (5.7%), RTÉ lyric fm (2.7%), Dublin's Country Mix 106.8 (2.6%) and Phantom FM (1.8%). Among the under 35s, this figures are very different with FM104 (24.9%), Spin 1038 (17.3%) and 98FM (15.6%) being by far the most popular stations in this age group. There are two Irish language radio stations which can be picked up in the Dublin area: RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, and Raidió na Life 106.4fm, both of which have studios in Dublin.

Croke Park

 Sport

The city is host to Croke Park, the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association. With a capacity of 82,300, it is the fourth largest stadium in Europe after Barcelona’s Nou Camp, Wembley in London, and the San Siro in Milan. It traditionally hosts Gaelic football and Hurling games, as well as international rules football. It also hosts concerts, with acts such as U2, Bon Jovi and Robbie Williams having played there in recent years. The Dublin team play most of their home league Hurling and Gaelic Football games at Parnell Park. Lansdowne Road stadium, which is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union, was the venue for home games of both the Irish Rugby Union Team and the Republic of Ireland national football team. It had a mixed standing and seating capacity of 49,000. As part of a joint venture between the IRFU, the FAI and the Government, it was replaced by the 50,000 all-seater Aviva Stadium, which opened in May 2010. On 29 January 2009, UEFA confirmed that the Aviva Stadium will host the 2011 Europa League Final (Formerly UEFA Cup).

Aviva Stadium

Dublin is home to six League of Ireland clubs, five in the Premier Division and one in the First Division. Dalymount Park in Phibsboro, the traditional home of Irish football and former venue for Republic of Ireland international soccer matches, continues, as it has for over a hundred years, as the home stadium of Bohemians FC. Their long time rivals Shamrock Rovers play at Tallaght Stadium, while St Patrick's Athletic play at Richmond Park in Inchicore, in the south west of the city and University College Dublin, play their home games at the UCD Bowl, Belfield. The newest club, Sporting Fingal play at Morton Stadium, Santry. Shelbourne which now plays in the First Division, is based at Tolka Park in Drumcondra. Tolka Park, Dalymount Park, UCD Bowl & Tallaght Stadium in Dublin along with the Carlisle Grounds in Bray hosted all Group 3 games in the Intermediary round of the 2011 UEFA Regions' Cup.

The National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown is Ireland's largest indoor water leisure facility. The Dublin area has several race courses including Shelbourne Park and Leopardstown. The Dublin Horse Show takes place at the RDS, which hosted the Show Jumping World Championships in 1982. The national boxing arena is located in The National Stadium on the South Circular Road. There are also Basketball, Handball, Hockey and athletics stadia, most notably Morton Stadium in Santry, which held the athletics events of the 2003 Special Olympics.

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