Dublin, county, 327 sq mi (847 sq
km), E central Republic of Ireland, on the Irish Sea. The region is
dominated by Dublin, which is
the county seat and capital of the Republic. The area is low-lying in the
north and center, rising to the Wicklow Mts. in the south. The chief river
is the Liffey, which bisects the city of Dublin and empties into Dublin Bay.
Two islands, Lambay and Ireland's Eye, are off the coast. The rural area,
upon which the city has increasingly encroached, is devoted to dairy farming
and the raising of wheat, barley, and potatoes. Cattle are also grazed;
fishing is pursued along the coast. Industries include chocolate and cement
in the west, and the town of Balbriggan is noted for its hosiery
manufacture. The National Botanic Gardens are in Glasnevin, just outside
Dublin. Organized as a county by King John of England in the early 13th
cent., Dublin, heart of the English Pale, was strongly guarded by castles along
its boundaries.
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