County Dublin Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath
Location
center Map highlighting County Dublin
Statistics
Province:	Leinster
County Town:	Dublin
Code:	D
Area:	921 km²
Population (2006)	1,186,821

County Dublin (Irish: Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath), or more correctly today the Dublin Region^[1] (Réigiúin Átha Cliath), is the area that contains the city of Dublin, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland as well as the largest city on the island 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. Dublin was one of the oldest of the Counties of Ireland to be formally structured.

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 1 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, 1993<ref name="r1" />, 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 2002^[4] 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:

Name	Map	Area: km²	Pop: 2006<ref name="r4" />
City of Dublin	1	114.99 (12.6%)	505,739 (42.6%)
County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown	2	127.31 (13.9%)	193,688 (16.3%)
County of Fingal	3	448.07 (49.1%)	239,813 (20.2%)
County of South Dublin	4	222.74 (24.4%)	246,919 (20.8%)

Towns and suburbs

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

See also

• List of subdivisions of County Dublin

Footnotes

External links

• The Dublin Community Blog
• Dublin Regional Authority
• Irish Architecture Online - Architecture of County Dublin
• Ireland.com Irish Ancestors/Civil Parishes of Co Dublin
• Irish Ancestors/Civil Parishes of Dublin City

•  • [ e] Counties of Ireland
Connacht	Galway (Galway City) Leitrim Mayo Roscommon Sligo
Munster	Clare Cork (Cork City) Kerry Limerick (Limerick City) Tipperary (North Tipperary • South Tipperary) Waterford (Waterford City)
Leinster	Carlow Dublin (Dublin City • Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown • Fingal • South Dublin) Kildare Kilkenny Laois Longford Louth Meath Offaly Westmeath Wexford Wicklow
Ulster	Cavan Donegal Monaghan Antrim Armagh Down Fermanagh Londonderry Tyrone
Italics denote non-administrative counties   (Parentheses) denote eponymous cities or non-traditional counties