Capital City

Ireland is occupied by two political entities:

- Ireland (also sometimes 'Republic of Ireland'), a sovereign country, covers five-sixths of the island. Its capital is Dublin.

- Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, covers the remaining sixth. Its capital is Belfast.

Dublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. The English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region.

Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's primary city following the Norman invasion. The city population was 495,781 inhabitants in 2002. Today has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city.