History of Dublin
Dublin was officially establishment was in 988 A.D. Vikings were the first inhabitants of the city and they set camp on the south bank of the River Liffey, in the area that is now Christchurch Cathedral. The name Dublin comes from Dubh Linn meaning 'Black Pool'. A tributary of the Liffey formed a large pool as it met the river. During the next three centuries many battles between the Irish and Vikings took place, notably in 1052, 1075 and 1124. Brian Boru one of the great Irish warriors has become immortalised in Irish history due to his exploits on the battlefield.
Dublin remained a small, medieval town until the midway through the 17th century. During this period it had only roughly 9,000 inhabitants and was in a state of neglect and poverty. Dublin grew enormously in size and wealth and by the end of the 17th Century was the second city of the British Empire.
The Act of Union, one of the most famous dates in Irish History (for the wrong reasons) set in 1800 by parliament in England abolished the Irish Parliament and drastically reduced Dublin's status. Daniel O Connell who subsequently become one of Ireland's greatest ever leaders vehemently opposed the bill. A long decline began to be reversed only after Ireland became independent from British rule in 1922. This independence came about after the 1916 Rising and the subsequent War of Independence. The Irish Free State came to existence but only after much fierce fighting and bloodshed on both sides. The GPO in O Connell Street was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting.
Dublin became the political, economic, and cultural centre of Ireland after winning its' freedom from British rule. It continues to be a vibrant city of culture and history, which has witnessed much in the past millennium.