03-17-2019, 01:00 PM
Since it's St Patrick's Day today, I thought I would make this my next 'city' topic .
Dublin (known as Baile Átha Claith in Irish) is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland. It's also the largest city in the country: as of the 2016 Census, there are there are 1,347,359 people living in the Dublin Region, of whom 554,554 live within Dublin City proper.
Nobody knows exactly when Dublin was founded; however, we know it existed during the 7th century AD, so it's certainly very old . It's been controlled by a variety of different powers over the years: the Vikings invaded in or around the year 841, and they held onto it until the Normans invaded Ireland in 1169. Then, a larger invasion by King Henry II in 1171 established English control over the island of Ireland. During the Middle Ages, Dublin began to prosper as a centre of trade - a role it retained well into the Early Modern era. Indeed, by the 18th century, Dublin was the 5th-largest city in Europe, with a population of around 130,000. However, its importance declined during the Industrial Era: it didn't become a major centre of manufacturing (as Manchester did), nor did shipbuilding take hold (as it did in Birkenhead, near Liverpool). Still, there is one commodity that it's well-known for manufacturing in large quantities: Guinness . This Irish dry stout was first brewed in Dublin in the year 1759 - and it's been manufactured there for over a quarter of a millennium now.
Given that Dublin is such an old and historically-important city, it's hardly surprising that it's been one of the major drivers of Irish and European culture. It's particularly noted for its contributions to literature: it was home to W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, and Dracula's creator Bram Stoker, among others. It's also the home of Trinity College, one of the top universities in Europe, and the alma mater of many of the city's most prominent literary figures. Several well-known actors have also grown up and made their name there - including Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Michael Gambon. At the opposite end of the cultural spectrum, Dublin is also home to countless pubs and bars, giving the city a vibrant night life: it's no wonder the city's so popular with young people (around 50% of the population are under 25 ).
So, who here has been to Dublin, and what are your experiences of the place?
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