County Dublin

County Dublin (Irish Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath), or more correctly the Dublin Region¹ (Réigiúin Átha Cliath), is the area that contains the city of Dublin, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland; and the modern counties of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. The Dublin Regional Authority is the regional authority for the region.

Introduction

Dublin is located on the east coast of Ireland in the province of Leinster. The area held county status until its dissolution as such in 1994, where Section 9 Part 1(a) of the Local Government (Dublin) Act, 1993 stated that as of 1st January 1994 "the county shall cease to exist"². At that time, and in response to a European Council report highlighting Ireland as the most centralised country in the European Union, it was decided that a single County Dublin was unmanageable and undemocratic from a Local Government perspective. The county was formally abolished and replaced with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin. The Government was fully aware of the magnitude of the legislation that was being passed, most poignantly noted by TD Avril Doyle in the Dáil Éireann assembly of the 3rd of November 1993, where she declared "The Bill before us today effectively abolishes County Dublin. I am not sure whether Dubliners realise that that is what we are about today, but in effect that is the case"³.

Currently

At present, many organisations, state agencies and sporting teams continue to operate on a "County Dublin" basis. Subsequently, much confusion exists around the legitimacy of the new counties - though they do have administrative county status, the only protected recognition of a county within the Republic of Ireland. County Dublin is now defined in legislation solely as the "Dublin Region" under the Local Government Act, 1991 (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order, 1993¹, and this is the terminology officially used by the four Dublin administrative councils in press releases concerning the former county area. Separate use of the term Greater Dublin Area, which consists of all of the Dublin Region and the counties of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow has created additional confusion. The census of 2002⁴ recorded the total population of the Dublin Region at 1,122,821, accounting for 28% of the national figure.

The latest Ordnance Survey Ireland "Discovery Series" (Third Edition 2005) 1:50,000 map of the Dublin Region, Sheet 50, shows the boundaries of the city and three surrounding counties of the region. Extremities of the Dublin Region, in the north and south of the region, appear in other sheets of the series, 43 and 56 respectively.

Local government

Dublin City Council has existed for centuries, previously as Dublin Corporation, as a county borough, whilst Dublin County Council in 1994 was abolished and replaced by three new county councils. Thus in summary the local authority divisions within the Dublin Region are:

Towns and suburbs

• Artane, Ashington, Ashtown
• Balbriggan, Baldoyle, Balgriffin, Ballinteer, Ballsbridge, Ballycullen, Ballyfermot, Ballymun, Balrothery, Bayside, Beaumont, Blackrock, Blanchardstown, Bluebell, Booterstown, Bray, Brittas
• Cabinteely, Cabra, Carpenterstown, Carrickmines, Castleknock, Celbridge, Chapelizod, Churchtown, Clare Hall, Clondalkin, Clonee, Clonshaugh, Clonsilla, Clonskeagh, Clontarf, Collinswood, Coolmine, Crumlin
• Dalkey, Dartry, Deans Grange, Dollymount, Dolphin's Barn, Donabate, Donaghmede, Donnybrook, Donnycarney, Drimnagh, Drumcondra, Dún Laoghaire, Dunboyne, Dundrum
• East Wall, Edmondstown
• Fairview, Finglas, Firhouse, Foxrock
• Galloping Green, Glasnevin, Glasthule, Glenageary, Goatstown, Greystones
• Harold's Cross, Hartstown, Howth, Huntstown
• Inchicore, Islandbridge, Jobstown, Kilcock, Kill O' The Grange, Killester, Killiney, Kilmacud, Kilmainham, Kilmore, Kilnamanagh, Kilsallaghan, Kimmage, Kinsealy, Knocklyon
• Leopardstown, Loughlinstown, Lucan, Lusk
• Malahide, Marino, Maynooth, Merrion, Milltown, Monkstown, Mount Merrion, Mulhuddart
• Newcastle
• Oldbawn, Ongar
• Palmerstown, Perrystown, Phibsborough, Portmarnock, Portobello
• Raheny, Ranelagh, Rathcoole, Rathfarnham, Rathgar, Rathmichael, Rathmines, Rialto, Ringsend, Rush
• Saggart, Sandycove, Sandyford, Sandymount, Santry, Shankill, Skerries, Smithfield, Stepaside, Stillorgan, Stoneybatter, Strawberry Beds, Sutton, Swords
• Tallaght, Templeogue, Terenure, The Coombe, Tyrellstown
• Walkinstown, Whitehall

Footnotes

Note 1: Statutory Instrument: Local Government Act, 1991 (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order, 1993

Note 2: Act of the Oireachtas: Local Government (Dublin) Act, 1993 (Section 9 Part 1(a))

Note 3: Dáil Éireann: Parliamentary Debates (03 November, 1993)

Note 4: Central Statistics Office: Census 2002 (Volume 1- Population Classified by Area)

This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "County Dublin".