FACT FILE - DUBLIN Céad Mile Fáilte - Dublin - Standing for more than a thousand years on the banks of the River Liffey. Dublin is one of Europe's top cultural cities and a much sought after holiday destination.

It is lively and vibrant - an international city - its streets combine the old world charm of a village with the bustling cosmopolitan flavour of a big city. It is a city that does not overpower or overwhelm.

Left: GPO O'Connell Street

Brief History: It was the Norse Vikings who founded the city in the 9th century. They brought trade and commerce and coinage. They built Ireland's first church in the location where Christ Church Cathedral now stands. King Henry 11 took control in 1172 with the help of Dermot McMurrough the King of Leinster. In the 17th century Dublin grew as a trading centre and in the 18th century the growth of it's fine architecural buildings.

Right: Trinity College

Following the effects of the great famine the city became known as the second city of the British Empire. In 1916 saw the Easter Rising and subsequent War of Independence and civil war of the 1920's.

Today Ireland's capital city is one in which to find top designers, world renowned entertainers, luxury hotels, superb choice of restaurants and pubs.

The city is divided by the River Liffey (below) and to the north there is the international airport located a short drive away just off the M1 motorway. On the north side you will find O'Connell Street with famous stores like Clerys (right) and Easons bookshop In the centre is the Dublin Spire or Spike as it also known as.(pictured below), This was the replacement for Nelson's Pillar which was blown up in 1966.It is the tallest structure in Dublin city centre. It is three metres wide at the base and tapers to a 15 centimentre wide beacon at the top. You will also find the General Post Office - GPO (picutre at the top of the page - the site of the Proclomation and final battle of the 1916 rising. Just off O'Connell Street You will find Henry Street full of department stores - Arnotts - Roches and others.Trams have now come back to Dublin and the "Luas" that now provides a service from the city to the suburbs.Other places of interest: include Phoenix Park - 700 hecatres and twice the size of New York's Central Park that includes Dublin Zoo, polo grounds, residence of the Irish President and the Garda Siochána police museum. The National Botanic Gardens are located in Glasnevin that was founded in 1795 and at Marino (accessed by bus on the 123 route) is the Casino at Marino.

Moving to the south side - There is Trinity College (pictured near the top of this page and below)

Opposite Trinity College is The Bank of Ireland and a short walk away is Grafton Street - a pedestrianised shopping street housing international shops and the Brown Thomas department Store. At the top end of Grafton Street you will find Stephens Green and the Stephens Green shopping centre opposite the Gaiety Theatre. Below left: Stephens Green and right shopping centre

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Below: Gaiety Theatre

Over the last few years the dockside area has been completely re-built with offices, apartments restaurants and cycle ways. The Point Theatre is located in this area close to the car ferry terminals

Left: new development at Dublin dockside

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Other places of interest: National Museum of Ireland, The Shaw Birthpace, National Gallery of Ireland in Merrion Square, The Guinness Storehouse,The National Parliament (Oireachtas) that consists of the President and two Houses: Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate) -The Daille, Dublin Castle and The Mansion House (pictured right).

Other places of interest close to Dublin: There is an excellent train service DART that covers the neighbouring north and south towns and villages like Howth, Malahide and Port Marnock in the north and Dun Laoghaire, Killiney, Blackrock and Dalkey in the south.

Left: Howth

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Docklands in Dublin is being transformed and now it is being described as living in Googleland - Dublin, Ireland

In December 2005 Google announced that it would be adding up to 700 jobs in Ireland at its Barrow Street, Dublin Headquarters. This would s more than double the current employment at the Dublin office that serves Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The Dublin base is Google's biggest non U.S. office and has a workforce that come from 35 nations and spoke 17 languages. A second building on Barrow Street is being renovated for Google's planned expansion and apart from offices in Docklands there is now a lot of residential accommodation.

Left: Google's Eureopean Headquarters at Barrow Street, Dublin

Below: Traditional Irish housing at the junction with Barrow Street, Dublin

The area begins at Ringsend around Barrow Street and Southwhere the glass panelled Gasworks is rising. Although people have not moved into the Gasworks yet, however the townhouses and apartments located around the base of the famous Dublin landmark are nearly full. The striking metal cylinder of the former gasholder at Barrow Street is the focal point of The Gasworks, an innovative residential development. Once completed there will be 70 apartments in The Clayton building that will comprises a rich mix of large one, two and three bedroom apartments. It is a four to six storey high linear building that forms the central spine of The Gasworks. Each stair core is naturally lit and leads to a maximum of 6 apartments on each level.

Left: The Gasworks

The former Bolands Mills located by the water has yet to be re-developed. There are complaints from some of the residents of the area who have lived there for years. Fears are too much traffic congestion and too many apartments without enough amenities. However close by in Gallery Quay a pharmacy has already opened and there are rumours that a supermarket will open in the basement.

Left: Docklands building - April 2006

The area will soon be home to the Irish Taxation Institute, PFPC and Rescon Developers amongst a few. With business come meal breaks and a wine bar and Italian restaurant are due to move into retail units in Longboat Quay. In the next couple of years Le Meridien Hotel and The Grand Canal Theatre are due to be completed, so Dublin 4 will soon be the place to live, work, visit and stay at - Googleland.

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Marks and Spencer plan to expand in Ireland

The UK retailer Marks and Spencer (M & S) that has opened eight new stores in the Republic of Ireland in the last 20 months is planning to continue the expansion. Wheras the operation in mainland Europe was terminated a few years ago, the brand name in Ireland has continued to grow. There are currently 12 stores in the republic and a total of 22 on Ireland overall. On the 12th April, the group reported a 6.8 per cent increase in like for like four quarter sales in the UK. They reported that business in Ireland was growing faster than across in the UK. Left: Marks and Spencer - Grafton Stret, Dublin

The company employs 2,000 in the Republic after it had created 1,500 new jobs in the past 20 months. There are no sales for figures for the Republic given out. April 2006

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Dublin Airport Authority is given go-ahead for new runway

Following a sixteen month application process Fingal County Council has granted Dublin Airportplanning permission for a  150 million 3,119 metre runway that will be built 1.6km north and parallel to the existing runway.The airport will have to make extensive road improvements including a new western access route to the airport allowing for further westward expansion and provide a link to the N2. April 2006

Left: Aer Lingus and Ryanair use Dublin Airport as their Irish base

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