History and Geography of Dublin

ANCIENT HISTORY

of

THE CITY OF DUBLIN.

The city of Dublin anciently stood on the south side only of the river Anna Liffey, an inconsiderable stream, and not far from Dublin Bay. The name Dublin is derived from Dub-leana, “the place of the black harbour;” and the name of the river from Auin Louiffa, “the swift river,” being merely a mountain torrent. Mac Turkill, the Dane, ejected a residence on the northern side of the river, which was called after the invaders Eastmantown, since corrupted into Oxmantown; but he afterwards removed to the southern side.

In 1172 and 3, Henry II. erected a temporary palace near the site of St. Andrew’s Church, where he entertained the Irish princes, and received their promise of submission to be governed by the laws of England, and held a parliament at the same time.

Thirty-seven years after, when King John arrived in Dublin, and governed the kingdom in person, he received here the homage of many Irish princes, established courts of justice, and directed the Bishop of Norwich to reduce the coin of Ireland to the English standard.

In 1216, Henry III. granted Magna Charta to the inhabitants of Dublin, and the following year gave the city to the citizens, in fee, for 200 marks per annum. The civil government of Dublin was formerly committed to a Provost and Bailiffs.

In 1409, Thomas, Duke of Lancaster, the King’s son, being Lord Lieutenant, the title of the chief magistrate was changed to that of Mayor. - Charles II. granted a company of foot soldiers to attend the Mayor, changed the title to Lord Mayor, and gave, beside, a pension of 500l. per annum, The first who bore the title of Lord Mayor was Sir Daniel Bellingham. Arthur, Earl of Essex, considerably improved the civil establishment of Dublin, and George II. regulated the corporation according to its present form.

James II. held a parliament in Dublin, for the purpose of repealing all the Acts of Settlement; and with great cruelty and dishonour, forced upon the inhabitants the basest coin that ever was put into circulation; he caused all the useless brass and pewter in the ordnance stores to be melted down, cast, and stamped, and the value of each piece was to be estimated by the impress marked upon it, not by its real value.

His treatment of the University exceeded, if possible, the baseness of his other acts; he directed them to receive an inefficient person to fill one of their senior fellowships, which they, with becoming dignity, resisted, upon which a military force was led against them, and many of the members cast into prison; they were, however, after some time, released from confinement, on the express condition, that if they re-assembled, they should be punished with death.

The general opinion is, that James intended to convert the University into a college of Jesuits. He, however, bestowed the Provostship upon Moor, a Popish prelate, a man possessed of a great love of letters, and who succeeded in preserving the books and manuscripts from the hands of the soldiery. About two years after, the insulted heads of the University had a powerful proof of the just punishment that awaits the sinner even in this world, in the overthrow of James at the battle of the Boyne, and his precipitate flight into France. On this occasion, Robert Fitz-Gerald, ancestor of the Duke of Leinster, seized on the city in the name of King William, and after expelling all the followers of the misguided James, restored the University and civil magistracy into the hands of Protestants.

After the accession of William, Ireland enjoyed almost perfect tranquillity for nearly a century. In 1729, an attempt was made, to supersede the necessity of holding a parliament in Ireland, by procuring the supplies for the succeeding 21 years. Fortunately this attempt was frustrated, and the motion lost by a majority of *one. Parliament then sat in the Blue-coat Hospital in Oxmantown-Green; but in that year the first *stone was laid of the Parliament House in College Green (now the Bank of. Ireland), when John Lord Carteret was Lord Lieutenant.

In 1768, Dr. Lucas, representative of the City, framed an Act, limiting the duration of parliament to eight years. In 1798, when Lord Camden was chief governor, rebellion broke out in the counties of Kildare, Wexford, and Wicklow, which extended over the principal part of the kingdom before it was suppressed, and during which period many persons were executed.

After a lapse of two years, the rebellion completely subsided, but in 1800 the city was thrown into great confusion and disorder, by the introduction of the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland, This measure has seriously changed the appearance of Dublin: with the removal of its parliament the nobility of Ireland withdrew to England, and left their palaces in Dublin either to fall to decay, or be converted into public offices, hotels, or charitable institutions. The residence of the Duke of Leinster, the most splendid in Dublin, is become the Dublin-Society’s House. The Stamp-office is kept in the mansion of the Powerscourt family. That of the late countess of Moira is fitted up for Mendicants, by the Association. Aldborough house is converted into a classical school. The Marquis of Drogheda’s has been purchased by the Bible Society, and part of it transformed into a hook-shop. And the Marquis of Sligo’s is an hotel.

While the public mind was still inflamed at the Act of Union having passed, it was not likely to be calmed by the emigration of the nobles; some of whom having disposed of their estates in Ireland, set sail with the intention of never re-visiting their native land. In this situation of affairs, Robert Emmet, a man to whom nature had given the means of arriving at the highest honours in the state, placed himself at the head of a body of insurgents, who rose on the 23rd July 1803, in Thomas-street, so unexpectedly, that the first intimation of the insurrection received at the castle, was given by the Hon. Miss Wolfe, whose father, Lord Kilwarden, had been dragged from his carriage, and murdered in the streets. The insurgents were first met by Mr. Wilson, a magistrate, with a small body of men, and afterwards I)y Lieutenant Brady of the 21st regiment, who with a party of 40 soldiers, succeeded in totally dispersing the mob, five of whom were killed and many taken prisoners. The insurgents then withdrew, after having merely succeeded in alarming the government.

Immediately after, Emmet and his accomplices were arrested, tried, condemned and executed. From that period, Dublin* *has enjoyed tranquillity; and although the consequences of the Union are still severely felt, the public mind is becoming daily reconciled.

Of the ancient city, which was walled in by the Danes in the ninth century, the walls, which may still be traced, did not exceed one mile in length. From the north tower of the castle they were continued over Cork Hill, near which was an entrance called Dame’s-gate, looking towards Hoggin’s (now College) green. Near Essex Bridge stood another entrance, called Essex-gate, erected on the site of Isod’s Tower. the wall then extended N. N. W. along the river, to the end of Fishamble-street. Here stood Fyan’s Castle, which was sometimes used as a state prison.

It then proceeded along Wood Quay to the end of Wine-tavern-street, where was another tower, and continuing still by the river, joined a castle, through which was one of the principal entrances into the city, opposite Bridge-street. The next traces are to be found on the west side of Bridge-street in New-row, thence it stretched up the hill to Cut-Purse-row, at the end of which stood Newgate, where criminals of the worst description were imprisoned: some of the towers are still to be seen at the rear of the houses in Cut-Purse-row and Corn-market. From Corn-market it ran at the rear of Back-lane to Nicholas-gate; thence it passed between Ross-lane and Bride’s-alley* *to Pool-gate, or as it was afterwards called Welburgh’s-gate; from thence it proceeded in a straight line until it united with the castle at Birmingham Tower, where a considerable part of the wall may yet be seen.

In 1669, the population of Dublin amounted to 8,159. Such was the city of Dublin not more than four or five centuries back, let the reader compare it with the history of Dublin as it now is. **

Geographic Description**. - Dublin is situated, in Lat. 53, 21, N. Lon. 6, 15, W. immediately opposite the coast of North Wales. It is not more than one mile from the bay of that name, which is a large semi-circular basin about eight miles in diameter, into which the Liffey empties itself, after running through the city, which it divides into two equal parts, in a direction from west to east. This large bay is rendered peculiarly dangerous by the breakers and shallows caused by two large sand banks called the North and South Bulls.

The perils of a mid night approach to the city are greatly diminished by the erection of a *mole *of 30 feet in breadth, and 8,560 yards in length, extending into the bay, on the extremity of which stands a light-house of a circular form, and particularly light and elegant construction. The difficulty of erecting a building of three stories in height, in such a situation was very great, and may fairly be compared to those attending the erection of the Eddistone or Tuscard Light-houses, as it is in never-ending conflict with winds and waves.

The north side of the harbour is sheltered by the hill of Howth, a peninsula of considerable extent; on the most prominent point of which, called the Bailey, another light-house is erected, corresponding to the one in the centre of the bay, thus rendering the entrance of the harbour perfectly distinct at all seasons. Under the north-west side of this mountain, an extensive pier has been built, and a spacious harbour enclosed, where the Holyhead packets put in. Another pier is just completed, at the south side of the bay, to afford shelter for shipping when they cannot make the pier of Howth; this wall, which has several turns to avoid the accumulation of sand, is built of mountain-granite, drawn from the hills of Killiney, and is called the King’s-town pier.

The bay of Dublin has long been celebrated for its picturesque beauty. Howth, from its height and situation, has been considered not unlike Vesuvius on the bay of Naples, and the majestic amphitheatre of mountains encompassing Dublin, forms a most sublime and perfect back-ground to the scene.

The mouth of the river is guarded by a strong fortress on the south wall, called the Pigeon-house, where a corps of artillery is stationed. From Ringsend point, where the Liffey discharges its waters into the bay, the stone quays of Dublin commence, and continue on both sides of the river for the space of three miles; and the advantages derived from the embanking of an unwholesome stream, by granite walls, of such extent and workmanship as are not exceeded by any city in Europe, were not dearly purchased at the expense of a trifling yearly tribute.

The liver is crossed by six handsome stone bridges and one of cast-iron. Two canals also, which communicate with the interior of the kingdom, nearly insulate the city, and terminate in extensive wet-docks, on the north and south sides of the city, and so communicate with the Liffey. These canals are navigable for boats of 60 tons, and contribute materially to the cheapness of the Dublin markets, by a constant supply of fuel and provisions from remote parts of Ireland.

The form of Dublin is nearly a right-angled parallelogram, whose longer side measures nearly three miles, and shorter, about two.

The city is encompassed by a road, called the Circular-road, extending ten miles.

Dublin contains 19 parishes, 2 cathedrals, 20 churches, meeting-houses of almost every religious sect, with 27 Roman Catholic chapels.

No city, in proportion, abounds more in magnificent buildings or charitable institutions. The population does not exceed 200,000.

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