History in Dublin
Antiquities | Architecture | History |
East Leinster includes the counties of Louth, Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Carlow, Wicklow, and Wexford. Being that portion of Ireland which lies nearest to Britain it has been more subj fe1 ected to English influence than the western portions of the island. It is probable that in early times the connection between Ireland and the Continent was direct, and that the Celts came from thence without first passing through England ; but even allowing this to be so, it must be admitted that in later times the dominant feature in Irish history has been its geographical position as regards England.
In the twelfth century, East Leinster was the first province attacked by the Anglo-Normans, and the English Pale, which consisted of the counties of Dublin (Holiday Apartments, Dublin, Ireland), Kildare, Meath, and Louth was contained within a portion of its borders. The town of Dublin (Accommodation, Dublin, Ireland) was handed over to the citizens of Bristol. Prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion the Scandinavians had made good their settlements in Dublin and Wexford ; the largest collection of Scandi- navian objects found in Ireland is derived from a Norse cemetery, which lay between Island Bridge and Kilmainham, close to Dublin. Here were found a number of typical Norse swords, battle-axes; scales and weights; tortoise-brooches, and other objects of personal adornment.
The rocky promontory of Howth, Co. Dublin (Hotels, Dublin, Ireland), recalls the Norse occupation of Ireland, its name being derived from the Norse word for head. The, Irish name is Beann Eadair. Its principal antiquities are the dolmen in the demesne of Howth Castle; a earn on Sheilmartin ; the remains of a promontory fort at the great Bailey ; and the ecclesiastical remains. The latter are interesting. They consist of the collegiate church of St Mary, and a late fifteenth-century house which served as a residence for the clergy who served the church. The church, which has been much added to and altered, consists of a two-aisled nave and a chancel. The earliest remains now extant are to be found at the ancient porch. The chancel and the Howth chapel belong to the fifteenth century.
The church is supposed to have been founded by the Norsemen in a.d. 1042. It was enlarged, and dedicated to the Virgin in 1235. The altar tomb in the chapel is an interesting specimen of fifteenth-century work ; the sides are decorated with panels ornamented with foliage, and carved with the arms of the St Laurences and families related to them. The effigies of Sir Christopher St Laurence, lord of Howth, and of his wife, Anno Plunkett, are carved in low relief on the covering slab. Sir Christopher is represented in plate armour with mail showing at the neck and hips. He wears a conical bascinet. The lady wears the horned head-dress of the period, and a pleated gown.
The remains at Rathmichael, close to Loughlinstown in south Co. Dublin, consist of a ruined church and the base. of a round tower. The graveyard contains sonic grave-slabs with rem ed7 arkable ornamentation, consisting of concentric circles. Though now deserted, Rath- michael was formerly a place of importance. It was constituted the second subdiaconal prebend in St Patricks Cathedral when the latter was founded. It was situated just within the boundary of the English Pale ; close to it is the ruined castle known as Pucks castle, evidently built to protect the border of the Pale. Several of the later monastic foundations have left stately ruins marking their former greatness. Of these the remains of Mellifont Abbey, situated on the banks of the River Mattock (which at this spot divides the counties of Meath and Louth), though not as imposing or considerable as those of other houses in the same province, must always be of interest as the remains of the first Cistercian monastery founded in Ireland. The introduction of the Cistercians was due to Malachias O Morgair, archbishop of Armagh. Malachias, who had been an abbot himself, was a great patron of monks. He was so impressed with the life of the monks and in- stitutions at Clairvaux that he sent some Irish novices there in order that they should learn the rules with a view to founding Cistercian houses in Ireland.
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The name Dublin (Holiday Cottages, Dublin, Ireland) comes from the Gaelic, Dubh Linn, which means black pool. In the Gaelic language, the city of Dublin is called Baile Atha Cliath, or town of the hurdle ford. What is now known as Dublin has its origins as a Viking colony. The Scandan e8b avian conquerors established a trading post where the River Liffey enters the sea, and utilized the Gaelic name Dubh Linn. In the 1100s, the Anglo-Norman invaders arrived in Ireland and Dublin became the focal point of British hegemony on the island. The Georgian period saw the emergence of an elite gentry class in Dublin. The British crown had established a practice of rewarding her most loyal soldiers with land and property in Ireland. This group became the new aristocracy. As cultural prosperity grew in Dubin, so did the desire of the local aristocracy (which now considered itself to be more Irish than British) to be independant. A failed attempt at independence occured with the 1798 Rebellion. The early 20th century saw much violence in Dublin.
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