817 



DUBLIN. 



DUBLIK. 



813 



belongs rather to the general history of the kingdom than to that of 

 the city. [IRELAND.] Under the Norman sway the city increased in 

 importance and extent. In 1205 the castle was ordered to be built 

 and the city to be fortified, and in 1215 a stone bridge was built over 

 the Liffey. The Reformation was established in Dublin in 1535 ; in 

 1550, on Easter Sunday, the liturgy was read in English for the first 

 time in Christ church. The university of Trinity College was founded 

 by Queen Elizabeth in 1593. Since the Union with Great Britain, 

 although Dublin has greatly declined as a centre of commercial and 

 manufacturing industry, it has increased in size and population, and 

 continues to advance in architectural improvement. 



The ground on which Dublin stands rises gently from the river 

 towards the north and south-west : the highest ground in the city is 

 at the Broadstone harbour of the Royal Canal, which is 62 feet above 

 the level of high-water in the Liffey. The Circular Road, which has 

 a length of about 9 miles, incloses a much larger space than is occupied 

 by the city, especially to the south-west and north-west. The city is 

 lighted with gas, and it is supplied with water chiefly from the Royal 

 and Grand canals. 



The eastern division of the city on the right bank of the river lies 

 almost wholly without the limits of the ancient city, and stands on 

 level ground, the northern part of which has in a great measure been 

 reclaimed from the former bed of the Liffey. Six extensive spots of 

 open s^-ouud ornament and ventilate this portion of the city ; namely, 

 ton-square, Fitzwilliam-square, Merrion-square, the park of 

 Trin: College, the Castle gardens, and Stephen's-green. Dame-street, 

 which leads from the castle to the university, expands towards its 

 eastern extremity into College-green, from which all the leading lines 

 of communication radiate. The whole area of College-green on the 

 east is occupied by the front of Trinity College, a large and dignified 

 pile of building of the Corinthian order erected in 1759, and extending 

 north and south 300 feet, a little in advance of the provost's house. 



Near the college stands the Bank of Ireland, formerly the Irish 

 house of parliament, founded in 1729, which presents a portico of six 

 Corinthian columns towards College-street, and a semicircular facade 

 with a receding centre of unusual magnificence towards College- 

 green. In the roadway opposite the bank is an equestrian statue of 

 William III., in former days the object of many party demonstrations. 



Of the squares which lie east and south of College-green, Stephen's- 

 green is the first in point of extent. The area within the railing 

 measures more than 20 statute acres, and is handsomely laid out. In 

 the centre of the inclosure there is an equestrian statue of George II. 

 In Dawson-street, which leads out of the north side of Stephen's- 

 green, is the Mansion House, a large plain building with a statue of 

 George I. on the lawn on the south side of it. A little east of the 

 Mansion House is the Dublin Society's House, between Kildare-street 

 and Merriou-square. Here is the site of the building for the Great 

 Exhibition held in Dublin in 1853. Merrion-square, the finest in 

 Dublin, is formed by handsome buildings inclosing an area of 12J acres, 

 which is tastefully laid out, forming a favourite promenade. Other 

 remarkable objects in this division of the city are Sir Patrick Dun's 

 Hospital, a large granite structure ; the Grand Canal docks ; Queen's- 

 square, off Great Brunswick-street ; St. Andrew's, a large and costly 

 Roman Catholic chapel ; the terminus of the Kingstown railway in 

 V/estland-row ; and on Burgh Quay, south-east of Carlisle bridge, 

 the building formerly known as Conciliation Hall, and the Corn 

 Exchange, a handsome structure of mountain granite. 



The eastern division of the city on the left bank of the Liffey 

 occupies higher ground, and is airy and cheerful. Mountjoy-square 

 and Rutland-square occupy the crest of the hill, and from these 

 respectively the chief lines of communication are Gardiner-street and 

 Sackville-street. The facade of the Lying-in Hospital and the Rotundo 

 forms a striking termination to Sackville-street on the north. In 

 Sackville-street, about midway between Carlisle bridge and the 

 Rotundo, stands a fluted Doric column, on a pedestal of large pro- 

 portions, bearing a colossal statue of Lord Nelson, erected in 1808. 

 A little farther south on the west side of the street is the General 

 Post-Office, which has a cut-granite front of 223 feet. In the centre 

 is a portico of Portland stone, with colossal statues on the apex and 

 extremities of the pediment. The Custom House occupies a detached 

 plot of ground on the quay leading from Carlisle bridge to the north 

 wall. This splendid building, founded in 1781, is 375 feet in length 

 by 205 feet in depth, and exhibits four decorated fronts of the Doric 

 order ; the columns, &c., being of Portland stone, and the body of the 

 building of cut granite. To the east of the Custom House are docks 

 and stores on a very extensive scale, surrounded by a lofty wall. Near 

 the Custom House is the terminus of the Drogheda railway. 



The Roman Catholic metropolitan church, situated in Marlborough- 

 street, is a magnificent structure, erected in 1816 at a cost of 40,0001. 

 Opposite to this church is the central establishment of the National 

 Board of Education, occupying a space of above five acres, and com- 

 prising a board-room, library, commissioner's residence, male and 

 female Training and Model schools, and an lufant school. St. George's 

 church, adorned with a beautiful spire, and occupying the highest 

 ground in the district, is the most sumptuous of the modern churches 

 of Dublin; it wag erected from a design by Johnstone, and cost 

 70,000i. In Upper Gardiner-street is the Roman Catholic chapel of 

 St. Francis Xavier, which has a handsome Ionic portico. 



GKOO. DIV. vor-. ii. 



The western division of the city, on the left side of the river, is 

 almost exclusively occupied by dealers, tradesmen, and labourers. 

 The portion of it which lies along the quays and towards the Blue- 

 Coat Hospital is however well built. The building called ' The Four 

 Courts,' siturxted on King's Inn Quay in this district, was commenced 

 in 1786, and is of great extent and splendour. In this district are 

 St. Paul's chapel, a graceful granite structure, with an Ionic tetra- 

 style portico facing Arran Quay ; the Blue-Coat Hospital ; the Royal 

 Barracks ; the terminus of the Midland Great Western railway ; the 

 North Dublin Union Workhouse ; the Richmond Lunatic Asylum ; 

 the Richmond Penitentiary; the House of Industry and hospitals 

 attached ; Newgate, the Sheriffs' prison, and the city Sessions House ; 

 the Linen Hall, opened in 1728 ; and the King's Inns. 



West of the Royal Barracks is the entrance into the Phoenix Park, 

 a finely-wooded demesne of 1759 acres, containing the vice-regal 

 lodge, and the lodges of the chief and under-secretary ; the Zoological 

 Society's gardens and establishment ; the Royal Military Infirmary ; 

 a powder-magazine and artillery station ; and an obelisk, erected in 

 commemoration of the victories of the Duke of Wellington. 



The division of Dublin which lies west from the castle, on the right 

 bank of the Liffey, is the oldest part of the city, and is now almost 

 exclusively occupied by persons in trade, small dealers, and the 

 labouring classes. The castle of Dublin, at the north-eastern extremity 

 of this district, consists of two handsome quadrangles, surrounded, 

 except on one side, by the apartments of state and the offices of 

 government. West of the castle stands Christ church cathedral, a 

 venerable cruciform structure, part of which is of a date anterior to 

 the coming of the English. South from Christ church, at a distance 

 of rather more than a quarter of a mile, is the cathedral of St. Patrick, 

 situated at the foot of the declivity, the ridge of which is occupied by 

 the castle and older cathedral. St. Patrick's is an imposing pile, con- 

 sisting of nave, transepts, and choir, with a chapter-house at the east 

 end. Attached to the cathedral are the ancient archiepiscopal palaco 

 (now used as a police-barrack), and the deanery-house, a commodious 

 residence built in the last century. At the back of the old palace is 

 the library founded by Archbishop Marsh in 1694. South of this 

 division are a penitentiary, the Portobello gardens and barracks, and 

 several hospitals ; and on the west of it are the South Dublin Union 

 Workhouse ; the Royal Hospital of Kilmainham, built at the cost of 

 the army in 1684; the Foundling Hospital; Swift's Hospital for 

 Lunatics ; Steevens's Hospital ; the terminus of the Great Southern 

 and Western railway, a remarkably handsome granite structure situ- 

 ated between Steevens's Hospital and King's bridge ; Kilmainham 

 jail and court-house ; and the artillery barracks at Island bridge. 

 The Liffey is crossed by nine bridges, seven of which are executed in 

 stone, and two in metal. It is lined for a space of nearly three miles 

 with quays formed of stone embankments faced with granite. 



The condition of the poorer classes in Dublin is wretched in the 

 extreme ; yet there are few cities in which charitable institutions are 

 more numerous or better supported. The total number of charitable 

 schools in the city of Dublin is above 200. The Lying-in Hospital in 

 Great Britain-street, founded in 1757, is the earliest institution of 

 the kind in the United Kingdom. Among other institutions are the 

 Meath Hospital and Infirmary, attached to which are an anatomical 

 theatre and lecture-rooms ; the City of Dublin Hospital ; the Fever 

 Hospital ; and Mercer's Hospital, founded in 1734. The religious and 

 charitable societies are very numerous. 



The places of amusement include the Theatre Royal, the Queen's 

 Theatre, the Hall of the Society of Ancient Concerts, the Music Hall 

 for concerts, and the Abbey-street Theatre. The University Choral 

 Society holds its meetings in the refectory of the college. The Porto- 

 bello and the Rotundo gardens are neatly laid out, and in summer 

 are well attended, on account of the firework displays exhibited. 



The trade of Dublin consists chiefly in the supply of the midland 

 districts with articles of import, comprising tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, 

 timber, deals, wine, &c. The harbour of Dublin has been greatly 

 improved within the last 30 years. Two steam dredges are now 

 employed cleansing and deepening the channel, so that large vessels 

 can unload at the quays, there being a depth of 24 feet on the bar at 

 high water, and about 12 feet at low water of spring tides. Extensive 

 docks, with a depth of 16 feet water, and surrounded by quays and 

 capacious storehouses, communicate with the Liffey to the east of the 

 Custom House ; and on the right side of the river the docks that 

 communicate with the Grand Canal afford commodious wharfage for 

 merchantmen and colliers besides that supplied by the river quays. 

 The channel of the Liffey, in Dublin Bay, is now deep enough for 

 vessels of 1400 tons. The number and tonnage of vessels registered as 

 belonging to the port of Dublin on December 31st, 1852, were : Sailing- 

 vessels, under 50 tons, 279, tonnage 8222 ; above 50 tons, 131, tonnage 

 20,239 : steam-vessels, under 50 tons, 2, tonnage 84 ; above 50 tons, 

 42, tonnage 11,269. During the year 1852 there entered the port, in 

 the coasting and cross-channel trade : Sailing-vessels, inwards 4746, 

 tonnage 360,316 ; outwards 2267, tonnage 140,470 : steam-vessels, 

 inwards 1444, tonnage 429,659; outwards 1528, tonnage 467,122. 

 In the colonial and foreign trade there entered 403 sailing-vessels of 

 78,600 tons burden, and one steam-vessel of 606 tons ; and there cleared 

 239 sailing-vessels of 53,386 tons aggregate burden. The gross amount 

 of customs collected at Dublin during the year ending January 5th, 



3 o 



