Why is dublin the capital of ireland?

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Enquire L

According to The Oxford Companion to British History

"Dublin takes its name from the Irish Duibhlinn, ‘black pool’, which may refer to a pool on the river Liffey's tributary, the Poddle. Duibhlinn was an ecclesiastical centre seized by the Vikings in 841. The city's alternative Irish name, Áth Cliath, ‘the ford of the hurdles’, explains its strategic significance, being one of the region's most important river crossing-points. It quickly became the main Viking military base and trading centre in Ireland and its Hiberno-Norse rulers exercised power over its hinterland (which later developed into County Dublin), though its forces were famously defeated by the Munster king Brian Boru at Clontarf in 1014. Thereafter, Irish rulers established themselves as kings of Dublin and by the time Ireland was invaded by the Anglo-Normans in 1169 Dublin was effectively the country's capital. It fell to Anglo-Norman arms in 1170, was taken by King Henry II into his own hands, and remained the headquarters of the English colony in Ireland, enjoying a period of development and prosperity which continued until the early 14th cent. The subsequent decline lasted well into the 17th cent., considerable growth taking place following the Restoration in 1660. The 18th cent. was arguably the most colourful era of the city's history, the arts and architecture in particular finding encouragement from the wealthy society of what was now regarded as the second city of the empire. Under the Wide Streets Commissioners (established in 1758), Georgian Dublin flourished and the abolition of its parliament in 1800 did little to lessen the city's expansion. Opposition to the Union led to the Easter Rising in the city in 1916 and Dublin featured prominently in the war which led to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921, with Dublin as capital and the home again of an Irish parliament."

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Ern T

I blame the Vikings.

Phil McCracken

Why is London the capital of the UK?

The Hawkmeister

the joke goes cos it's the biggest city in the world, it keeps Dublin and Dublin!

Knownow't

It is situated on the major river and was easily fortified....see where Dublin Castle is situated...and it grew from there.

mars_cats_pineapple

Why not

Poppy84

Dublin was one of the first Viking settlements in Ireland. After the Norman invasion of Ireland, Dublin became the key centre of military and judicial power, with much of the power centering on Dublin Castle until independence.

Through the history of Ireland Dublin was a central hub. Have a read of the following http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin

Shelly J

When the vikings orginially settled there they felt the area had the greatest advantages.

»¤●°кιωι gяáçα»¤●°™

I don't know! You could ask why other capitals are capitals of their countries

robin H

Situated on the major river? You think it's on The Shannon?

Melok

Why is Madrid the Capital City of Spain, Juan?

Football girl

Had to be somewhere. Besides thats where all the Guinness is ;)

eorpach_agus_eireannach

Purely because it was the most anglicised part of Ireland and became the seat of the English administration on the Island. Previously it had been Tara and Kilkenny.

ray w

not sure why mr KERR

Orla C

This is actually a very interesting question, given that over the centuries Dublin was NOT ALWAYS the capital of Ireland. It was merely the seat of the English and later British government in Ireland, which was why all those big buildings were constructed there in the 1700s and later.

The town of Drogheda was planned as the capital, and expansion did start, but this idea never got off the ground and I don't know why.

Kilkenny was the capital of Ireland for a number of years during the Middle Ages.

From 1169 to the present day, Ireland is quite divided from an economic and social point of view in terms of East and West. The Eastern half of the country has always been more strongly influenced by England and Wales, down to the placenames and family names - the name Walsh literally means Welsh, as from Wales, and the Irish form is Breathnach, which means Welsh. By contrast the West was much more strongly influenced by trade with France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and the Mediterranean - all you have to do is listen to the instrumental traditional music and the sean nos singing of the West of Ireland to hear some melodies that could have come straight from Northern Africa, and the dancing was also influenced by Spanish styles. Connemara ponies are believed to have a lot of Arabian blood in them, and any horse-lover knows that Arab horses are the fastest and most athletic horses in the world. The name Costelloe from Galway and the West is general is possibly derived from 'Castelliano', which was a person from the Castellian part of Spain. And of course many people from the West have dark hair and eyes and pale skin ... which is very attractive, I think.

Proud Fenian

the same reason why everywhere else is not the capital=)

fashonion

It is the capital because it is the best city in Ireland.

Avondrow

Because 'Blackpool' sounds down market and there is an English seaside town already using that name!

bholeshankar07

because Ireland cannot be capital og Dublin!!!

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