Dublin

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History

Humans have inhabited the area of Dublin Bay since prehistoric times. Fish traps discovered from excavations during the construction of the Convention Centre Dublin indicate human habitation as far back as 6,000 years ago. Further traps were discovered closer to the old settlement of the city of Dublin on the south quays near St. James's Gate, which indicate mesolithic human activity. Ptolemy's map of Ireland, of about 140 AD, provides possibly the earliest reference to a settlement near Dublin. Ptolemy, the Greco-Roman astronomer and cartographer, called it Eblana polis (). The Viking settlement of about 841 was preceded by a Christian ecclesiastical settlement known as Duibhlinn, from which Dyflin took its name. The Irish government recognised 988 as the year in which the city was settled and that this first settlement would later become the city of Dublin; Dublin celebrated its 'official' millennium in 1988. Beginning in the 9th and 10th centuries, two settlements later became modern Dublin. The subsequent Scandinavian settlement centred on the River Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey in an area now known as Wood Quay. The Dubhlinn was a pool on the lowest stretch of the Poddle, where ships used to moor. This pool was finally fully infilled during the early 18th century, as the city grew. The Dubhlinn lay where the Castle Garden is now located, opposite the Chester Beatty Library within Dublin Castle. Táin Bó Cuailgne ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") refers to Dublind rissa ratter Áth Cliath, meaning "Dublin, which is called Ath Cliath". In 841, the Vikings established a fortified base in Dublin. The town grew into a substantial commercial centre under Olaf Guthfrithson in the mid-to-late 10th century and, despite some attacks by the native Irish, it remained…

Geography

Dublin is situated at the mouth of the River Liffey and its urban area encompasses approximately in east-central Ireland. It is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range and sub-range of the Wicklow Mountains, to the south, and surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west. The city itself was founded where the River Poddle met the Liffey. The early Viking settlement was also facilitated by the small Steine or Steyne River, the larger Camac and the Bradogue, in particular. Two secondary rivers further divide the city: the River Tolka, running southeast into Dublin Bay, and the River Dodder, running northeast to near the mouth of the Liffey. These, along with the Liffey, have multiple tributaries. Many lesser rivers and streams also flow to the sea within the suburban parts of the city. Two canals – the Grand Canal on the southside and the Royal Canal on the northside – ring the inner city on their way from the west, both connecting with the River Shannon. Similar to much of the rest of northwestern Europe, Dublin has a maritime climate (Cfb) with mild-warm summers, cool winters, and little temperature extremes. At Merrion Square, the coldest month is February, with an average minimum temperature of . The warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of . Due to the urban heat island effect, Dublin city has the warmest summertime nights in Ireland. The average minimum temperature at Merrion Square in July is . The lowest July temperature ever recorded at the station was on 3 July 1974. The highest temperature officially recorded in Dublin is on 18 July 2022, at the Phoenix Park. A non-official record of was recorded at Phoenix Park in July 1876. Dublin's sheltered location on the east coast makes it the driest place in…

Most-observed species

• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  16,834
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  14,257
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  14,251
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13,146
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,051
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,751
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,677
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,420

Most recent

• M 3.2 — 2005-12-14
  27 km E of Wicklow, Ireland