Dublin is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland & is located on the east coast of the country at the mouth of the River Liffey. 

Dublin is the largest city of Ireland with a population of over 1 million. Established in 988 AD by Viking settlers & was later consolidated into a trading port by the Anglo-Norman conquest in the early 12th Century. 

Dublin remained a small medieval city until the Georgian Period when it became a major centre for British colonial rule in Ireland. Dublin grew in size & wealth to became the second most important city of the British Empire. The Act of Union in 1800 between Ireland & the United Kingdom abolished the Irish Parliament, drastically reducing Dublin’s status as a core political & economic centre.

Political unrest continued until 1914 when Home Rule was passed into law but its implementation was suspended for the duration of WWI. Opposition to British rule exploded in 1916 during the Easter Rising. 

The General Post Office was quickly taken by the rebels & other key points in the city were secured. The Irish forces were soon outnumbered & outgunned. After weeks of fighting the garrisons surrendered & the leaders were jailed. 

The general election of 1918 saw republican Sinn Fein candidates win nearly three-quarters of the Irish parliamentary seats. Instead of going to Westminster, they declared Ireland independent & formed the Irish Assembly. The violent conflict between the IRA & the British continued until a truce was signed on July 11, 1921, followed by the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which created the Irish Free State on December 6, 1921. The six Ulster counties that make up Northern Ireland opted out of the new state. 

By the outbreak of WWII, Ireland was a republic in all but name. The government declared the Free State to be a republic & Ireland left the British Commonwealth in 1949.

In the 1990s Ireland underwent a dramatic change in its economic fortunes. The country, Dublin in particular, experienced its greatest period of economic success since independence. Signs of the so-called 'Celtic Tiger' economy were everywhere, from the cranes dotting the skyline to the new Mercedes around town. 

Knowledge & skill have become the central drivers of prosperity & companies like Intel, Sun Microsystems & Wyeth Pharmaceutical now have major branch plants in the greater Dublin region. Construction has boomed with new office blocks, commercial centres & residential areas developed throughout the region.

Inner-city revitalization & redevelopment are a focal point of current urban planning. Numerous areas have been regenerated as thriving points for tourism, business activities & housing including Smithfield, the Liberties & Dublin Docklands.

To visit Dublin is to take advantage of its fabulous cultural offerings, like theatres museums or bookstores, as well as its lovely parks, friendly pubs, interesting historical places & vibrant streets.