Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

DUBLIN

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 623 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

DUBLIN  , a See also:

city, See also:county of a city, See also:parliamentary See also:borough and seaport, and the See also:metropolis of See also:Ireland, in the See also:province of See also:Leinster . It lies at the See also:head of a See also:bay of the Irish See also:Sea, to which it gives name, about midway on the eastern See also:coast of the See also:island, 334 M . W.N.W. of See also:London by the See also:Holyhead route, and 70 M . W. of Holyhead on the coast of See also:Anglesey, See also:Wales . (For See also:map, see IRELAND.) Its See also:population in 1901 was 290,638 . Site, Streets and Buildings.—Dublin lies on the See also:great central See also:limestone See also:district which stretches across the island from the Irish Sea to the See also:Atlantic Ocean, and occupies both See also:banks of the See also:river Liffey . Its situation is justly admired . The populous shores of the bay are exceedingly picturesque . To the See also:north and See also:west the See also:country is comparatively level, the central See also:plain of Ireland here reaching to the coast, but to the See also:south the foothills of the See also:Wicklow Mountains practically See also:touch the confines of Greater Dublin, affording comprehensive views of the See also:physical position of the city, and forming a background to some of the finest streets . The municipal boundary lies generally a little outside the so-called Circular Road, which may be taken as encircling the city proper, with a few breaks . 'It bears this name on both the north and south sides of the river . As the city is approached from the bay, the river Liffey, which divides the city from west to See also:east roughly into two equal parts, is seen to be lined with a See also:fine See also:series of quays .

At its mouth, on the north See also:

side, is the North See also:Wall See also:quay, where ,the See also:principal steamers See also:lie, and in this vicinity are the docks . At the opposite (western) end of the city, the See also:Phoenix See also:Park may be taken as a convenient landmark . Between this and North Wall the river is crossed by twelve See also:bridges, which, in See also:order from west to east, are these: Sarah See also:Bridge, the bridge of the North Wall See also:extension railway; See also:King's, commemorating a visit of See also:George IV.; See also:Victoria or Barrack; See also:Queen's; See also:Whitworth, of See also:interest as occupying the site where a bridge has stood since the 12th See also:century; See also:Richmond, See also:Grattan and See also:Wellington; O'Connell, See also:Butt and a swivel bridge carrying a See also:loop railway . Of these O'Connell bridge (formerly known as See also:Carlisle) is the principal, as it connects the See also:chief thoroughfare on the north side, namely See also:Sackville (or O'Connell) See also:Street, with Great See also:Brunswick Street and others on the south . Sackville Street, which gains in See also:appearance from its remarkable breadth, contains the principal hotels, and the See also:post See also:office, with a fine Ionic See also:portico, founded in 1815 . At the See also:crossing of See also:Henry Street and See also:Earl Street is the See also:Nelson See also:pillar, a beautiful See also:monument 134 ft. in height, consisting of a fluted Doric See also:column, raised on a massive See also:pedestal, and crowned by a statue of the See also:admiral . At the See also:southern end of the street is See also:Daniel O'Connell's monument, almost completed by See also:John Henry See also:Foley before his See also:death, and erected in 1882 . In See also:Rutland Square, at the See also:northern end, is the Rotunda, containing public rooms for meetings, and adjoining it, the Rotunda See also:hospital with its Doric See also:facade . From the north end of Sackville Street, several large thorough-fares radiate through the northern See also:part of the city, ultimately joining the Circular Road at various points . To the west there are the Broadstone station, Dominion Street, and beyond this the large workhouse, See also:prison, See also:asylum and other district buildings, while the Royal See also:barracks front the river behind See also:Albert Quay . Two other notable buildings See also:face the river on the north See also:bank . Between Whitworth and Richmond bridges stands the " Four Courts " (See also:law courts), on the site of the See also:ancient Dominican monastery of St Saviour .

It was erected between 1786 and 1796, and is adjoined by other See also:

court buildings, the public See also:record office, containing a vast collection, and the See also:police offices . Below the lowest bridge on the river, and therefore in the neighbourhood of the See also:shipping See also:quarter, is the customs See also:house (1781-1791), considered one of the chief ornaments of the city . It presents four fronts, that facing the river being of See also:Portland See also:stone, in the Doric order, while the See also:rest are of See also:granite . The centre is crowned by a See also:dome, surmounted by a statue of See also:Hope . This See also:building provides offices for the See also:Local See also:Government See also:Board, Boards of See also:Trade and of Public See also:Works and other bodies . It is, however, to the south of the river that the most interesting buildings are found . Crossing O'Connell bridge, the See also:short Westmoreland Street strikes into a thoroughfare which traverses the entire city parallel with the river, and is known successively (from west to east) as See also:James, See also:Thomas, High, See also:Castle, See also:Dame, See also:College and Great Brunswick streets . At the end of Westmoreland Street a fine See also:group of buildings is seen—Trinity College on the See also:left and the Bank of Ireland on the right . Barely See also:half a mile westward down Dame Street,. rises the Castle, and 300 yds. beyond this again is the See also:cathedral of See also:Christ See also:Church . These, with the second cathedral of St See also:Patrick, are more conveniently described in the inverse order . The cathedral of Christ Church, or See also:Holy Trinity, the older of the two See also:Protestant cathedrals in the See also:possession of which Dublin is remarkable, was founded by Sigtryg, a Christ Christianized king of the Danes of Dublin, in 1038, Church . but See also:dates its See also:elevation to a deanery and See also:chapter from 1541 .

It was restored in 1870–1877 by G . E . Street at the See also:

charge of Mr Henry See also:Roe, a See also:merchant of Dublin, who also presented the See also:Synod House . The restoration involved the See also:complete re-building of the See also:choir and the south side of the See also:nave, but the See also:model of the ancient building was, followed with great care . The See also:crypt embodies remains of the founder's See also:work; the rest is Transitional See also:Norman and See also:Early See also:English in See also:style . Among the monuments is that of Strongbow, the invader of Ireland, to whom the earlier part of the superstructure (1170) is due . Here the tenants of the church lands were accustomed to pay their rents . The monument was injured by the fall of one of the cathedral walls, but was repaired . By its side is a smaller See also:tomb, ascribed to Strongbow's son, whom his See also:father killed for showing cowardice in See also:battle . Synods were occasionally held in this church, and parliaments also, before the See also:Commons' See also:Hall was destroyed in 1566 by an accidental See also:explosion of See also:gunpowder . Here also the pretender See also:Lambert See also:Simnel was crowned . A short distance south from Christ Church, through the squalid quarter of See also:Nicholas and Patrick streets, stands the other Protestant cathedral dedicated to St Patrick, st the See also:foundation of which was an See also:attempt to supersede Patrick's .

the older foundation of Christ Church, owing to jealousies, both ecclesiastical and See also:

political, arising out of the Anglo-Norman invasion . It was founded about 1190 by John See also:Comyn, See also:archbishop of Dublin; but there was a church dedicated to the same See also:saint before . It was burnt about two See also:hundred years later, but was raised from its ruins with increased splendour . At the See also:Reformation it was deprived of its status as a cathedral, and the building was used for some of the purposes of the courts of See also:justice . See also:Edward VI. contemplated its See also:change into a university, but the project was defeated . In the succeeding reign of See also:Mary, St Patrick's was restored to its See also:primary destination . The installations of the knights of St Patrick,. the first of which took See also:place in 1783, were originally held here, and some of their insignia are preserved in the choir . This cathedral contains the monuments of several illustrious persons, amongst which the most celebrated are those of See also:Swift (See also:dean of this cathedral), of Mrs Hester See also:Johnson, immortalized under the name of " Stella "; of Archbishop See also:Marsh; of the first earl of See also:Cork; and of See also:Duke See also:Schomberg, who See also:fell at the battle of the See also:Boyne . The tablet over Schomberg's See also:grave contains what See also:Macaulay called a " furious See also:libel," though it only states that the duke's relatives refused the expense of the tablet . In the cathedral may be seen the See also:chain See also:ball which killed See also:General St See also:Ruth at the battle of See also:Aughrim, and the spurs which he wore . The cathedral was restored by See also:Sir See also:Benjamin See also:Lee See also:Guinness (1864), whom a fine statue by John Henry Foley commemorates, and the work was resumed by his son See also:Lord Iveagh in 1900 . Attached to the cathedral is Marsh's library, incorporated in 1707, by a See also:request of See also:Primate Marsh, archbishop of See also:Armagh .

It contains a See also:

good number of theological works and of See also:manuscripts, and is open to the public; but is deficient in See also:modern publications, Dublin Castle stands high, and occupies about ten acres ofground, but excepting St Patrick's Hall, the apartments are small, and the building is of a See also:motley and unimposing appearance, with the exception of the See also:chapel (a See also:Gothic building of the early 19th century) and great See also:tower . The castle The castle. was originally built in the first two decades of the 13th century; and there are portions of this See also:period, but nearly the whole is of the 16th century and later . In St Patrick's hall where the knights of St Patrick are invested, are the See also:banners of that order . Opposite the castle is the city hall (1779), in the possession of the See also:corporation, with statues in the central hall of George III., of Grattan (a superb work by Sir See also:Francis See also:Chantry), of Daniel O'Connell, and of Thomas See also:Drummond by John Hogan and several others . The Bank of Ireland (see See also:ARCHITECTURE, fig . 85) occupies five acres, and was formerly the House of See also:Parliament . There are three fronts; the principal, towards College See also:Green, is a See also:colonnade of the Ionic order, with facade Breland. and two projecting wings; it connects with the western portico by a colonnade of the same order, forming the quadrant of a circle . The eastern front, which was the entrance of the House of Lords, is, by their See also:special wish, of the Corinthian order, made conformable with the rest of the building not without difficulty to the architect . The House of Lords contains See also:tapestry dating from 1733, and remains in its See also:original See also:condition, but the octagonal House of Commons was demolished by the bank See also:directors, and replaced with a See also:cash-office . The building was begun in 1729, but the fronts date from the end of the century; the remodelling took. place in 1803 . Trinity College, or Dublin University, fronts the street with a See also:Palladian facade (1759), with two good statues by Foley, of See also:Goldsmith and See also:Burke . Above the gateway is a hall called the See also:Regent House .

The first quadrangle, ; ege Parliament Square, contains the chapel (1798), with a Corinthian portico, the public See also:

theatre or examination hall (1787), containing portraits of Queen See also:Elizabeth, See also:Molyneux, Burke, See also:Bishop See also:Berkeley and other celebrities, and the wainscotted dining hall, also containing portraits . A beautiful modern campanile (1853), erected by Lord John George See also:Beresford, archbishop. of Armagh and See also:chancellor of the university, occupies the centre of the square . Library Square takes its name from the library, which is one of the four scheduled in the See also:Copyright See also:Act as entitled to receive a copy of every See also:volume published in the See also:United See also:Kingdom . There is a notable collection of early Irish manuscripts, including the magnificently ornamented See also:Book of See also:Kells, containing the gospels . The building was begun in 1712 . In this square are the See also:oldest buildings of the foundation, dating in part from the See also:close of the 17th century, and the modern Graduates' Memorial buildings (1904) . These contain a theatre, library and See also:reading-See also:room, the rooms of the college See also:societies and others . The See also:schools See also:form a fine modern See also:pile (1856), and other buildings are the See also:provost's house (1760), See also:printing house (1760), museum (1857) and the medical school buildings, in three blocks, one of the best schools in the kingdom . Other buildings of the loth century include chemical laboratories . The College Park and See also:Fellows' See also:Garden are of considerable beauty . In the former most of the recreations of the students take place; but the college also supports a well-known See also:rowing-See also:club . The college See also:observatory is at Dunsink, about 5 m. north-west of Dublin; it is amply furnished with astronomical See also:instruments .

It was endowed by Dr Francis See also:

Andrews, provost of Trinity College, was erected in 1785, and in 1791 was placed by See also:statute under the management of the royal astronomer of Ireland, whose See also:official See also:residence is here . The magnetic observatory of Dublin was erected in the years 1837–1838 in the gardens attached to Trinity College, at the expense of the university . A normal climatological station was established in the Fellows' Garden in 1904 . The botanic garden is at Ball's Bridge, 1 m . S.E. of the college . The alternative See also:title of Dublin University or Trinity College, Dublin (commonly abbreviated T.C.D.), is explained by the fact that the university consists of only one college, that of " the Holy and Undivided Trinity." This was founded under See also:charter from Queen Elizabeth in 1591. and is the greatest foundation of its See also:kind in the country . The corporation consists of a provost, 7 See also:senior fellows, 25 junior fellows and 70 scholars . A vacancy among the fellows is filled up by the provost and a select number of the fellows, after examination comprised in five principal courses, See also:mathematics, experimental See also:science, See also:classics, See also:mental and moral science and See also:Hebrew . Fellowships are held for See also:life . Until the See also:year 184o the fellows were See also:bound to See also:celibacy, but that restriction was then removed . All except five (medical and law fellows) were bound to take Holy Orders until 1872 . The scholars on the foundation (or " of the House ") are chosen from among the undergraduates, for merit in classics, mathematics or experimental science .

The pecuniary advantages attaching to scholarship (2o Irish, See also:

free commons, and rooms at half the charge made to other students) last for four years . Students after an examination are admitted as See also:fellow-commoners, pensioners or sizars . Fellow-commoners, who have decreased in See also:numbers in modern times, pay higher fees than the See also:ordinary undergraduates or pensioners, and have certain advantages of See also:precedence, including the right of dining at the fellows' table . Sizarships are awarded on examination to students of limited means, and carry certain relaxations of fees . They were formerly given on the nomination of fellows . Noblemen, noblemen's sons and baronets (nobilis, filius nobilis, eques) have the See also:privilege of forming a See also:separate order with See also:peculiar advantages, on the See also:payment of additional charges . The mode of See also:admission to the university is in all cases by examination . Various exhibitions and prizes are awarded both in connexion with the entrance of students and at subsequent stages of the course of instruction, which normally lasts four years . There are three terms in each year—Michaelmas (beginning the See also:Academic year), Hilary and Trinity . The undergraduate is called in his-first year a junior freshman, in his second a senior freshman, in his third a junior sophister, and in his See also:fourth a senior sophister . The usual arts and scientific courses are provided, and there are four professional schools—divinity, law, physic and See also:engineering . The undergraduate has certain See also:examinations in each year, and four " commencements " are held every year for the purpose of conferring degrees .

Freedom is offered to students who wish to be transferred from See also:

Oxford, See also:Cambridge, or certain colonial See also:universities to Trinity College, by the recognition of terms kept in the former institutions as part of the necessary course at Trinity College . In 1903 it was decided to bestow degrees on See also:women, and in 1904 to establish women's scholarships . The funds of the college, arising from lands and the fees of students, are managed solely by the provost and seven senior fellows, who form a board, to which and to the academic See also:council the whole government of the university, both in its executive and its legislative branches, is committed . The council consists of the provost and sixteen members of the See also:senate elected by the fellows, professors, &c; the senate consists of the chancellor or his See also:deputy and doctors and masters who keep their names on the books . The See also:average number of students on the books is about 1300 . By an act passed in 1873, known as See also:Fawcett's Act, all tests were abolished, and the prizes and honours of all grades hitherto reserved for Protestants of the Established Church were thrown open to all . The university returns two members to parliament . (See Dublin University See also:Calendar, See also:annual.) There remain to be mentioned the following buildings in Dublin . The permanent building of the See also:International See also:Exhibition of 1865 adjoins the See also:pleasure ground of St See also:Stephen's Green . This building was occupied by the Royal University of Ireland until its See also:dissolution under the Irish Universities Act 1908, which provided for a new university at Dublin, to which the building was transferred under the act (see IRELAND: See also:Education) . The new university is called the See also:National University of Ireland . At the same See also:time a new college was founded under the name of University College .

The Royal University replaced the Queen's University under the University Act (Ireland) in 1879 . No teaching was carried on, but examinations were held and degrees conferred, both on men and on women . On the west side of St Stephen's Green is the See also:

Catholic University (1854), which is under the Jesuit Fathers and affiliated to the Royal University . Between Trinity College and St Stephen's Green, a large group of buildings includes the Royal Dublin Society, founded in 1683 to develop See also:agriculture and the useful arts, with a library and See also:gallery of statuary; the Science and Arts Museum, and the National Library, the former with a noteworthy collection of Irish antiquities; the Museum of Natural See also:History, with a splendid collection of Irish See also:fauna; and the National Gallery of Ireland, founded in 1853 . Here was once a residence of the duke of Leinster, and the buildings surround the open space of Leinster See also: