Explore Dublin, Ireland!

Huddled snugly along the banks of the Liffey River, the Irish capital is packed with symbols of its rich heritage and monuments to its ancestral sons and daughters. Although, the statues and dedications focus on the past, the city's population is indeed very young. Half of Dublin's million and a half residents are under the age of 30, but the loss of older adults has not been the result of anything sinister. The Irish economy was stalled for many years, and people left the Emerald Isle in record numbers in search of work. European Union membership and a bourgeoning population of university graduates have brought renewed wealth, and the emergent technical economy has found a comfortable home in old Dublin. New buildings have gone up, and expanding business has begun to affect the entire nation. Many software companies have arrived to partner with the local talent pool.
Commanding one of Ireland's prettiest natural settings, Dublin was named by the Vikings. The Norse phrase dubh linn means "black pool" - a reference to the murky lagoon at the junction of the Liffey River and its tributary, the Poddle. The murky crossroad is now hidden beneath Dublin Castle's garden. Invading Scandinavians established the rust permanent village on the site in the ninth century. Successive attacks followed, but the decisive moment in Irish history did not come until 1170 when Norman King Henry II dispatched Strongbow to Waterford. Within a few decades, the conquest was complete - the Normans had married into local communities on the Emerald Isle. When English forces invaded again 250 years later, the Irish-Norman tribes fought fiercely to regain their own land against their better-equipped foes. The pattern became the legacy of deep divisions that still simmer, but the Normans remained, and Dublin was their capital. Unfortunately, as in most European cities, ealry builders used wood, so most of the oldest homes have been lost. In the modern city, only one or two other buildings pre-date the 17th century.
When peace and prosperity returned in the 18th century, Dublin prospered. Most of its elegant mansions and georgian townhouses were built at the time, the streets were widened, and some of the most graceful spans were erected across the river. Liffey Bridge, connecting Aston Quay with BAchelor's Walk, is probably the most famous. Originally named Wellington Bridge, the willowy overpass is better known by its nickname, Halfpenny Bridge, a reference to the toll that was once exacted from pedestrians who wanted to cross.