Dublin

Dublin, the capital of Ireland, has a compact city centre with a population estimated at 565,000 and a metropolitan county population of 1.27million. The city has been shaped in part by its geographical location aligned midway along East Coast of Ireland, split into north and south by the River Liffey, and bordered to the South by the Wicklow Mountains. With a rich and varied history from the Vikings in the 8th Century, who were responsible for paving its first streets, followed by Norman occupation, English rule and the formation of the Republic of Ireland in the 1920’s. Dublin has also had a strong cultural heritage; amongst its notable writers are Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Jonathan Swift and playwright Samuel Beckett. Not surprisingly the city is speckled with historic sites and famous landmarks. Dublin today is a vibrant modern capital, which is also noted for its ‘easy going charm’