Dublin is the capital of Ireland since the 12th century. 
The city's roots hark back to 841 when Vikings rowed up the Liffey River and set up camp at the banks of the small Dubhlinn lake.
In the next centuries the settlement prospered and grew into a real town thanks to the lucrative slave trade.

The Normans captured Dublin in 1171, fortified the city, built Dublin Castle and adopted the Irish culture while the city continued to prosper.

From the 16th century onwards the English Crown tried to forcefully convert Dublin to  Protestantism. Saint Patrick's Cathedral was turned into an Anglican Church and Trinity College was off limits for Catholic students.

The Easter Rising of 1916 started and ended in Dublin and the Rising and the subsequent wars till 1923 caused substantial damage to the city's center.

The Troubles also left their violent marks here, but after the Good Friday Agreement  Ireland, with Dublin at the forefront, embarked on an impressive economical boom, be it with borrowed money. These good times of the Celtic Tiger ended in a deep political and economic crisis,

Today Dublin has economically fully recovered, thanks to a business friendly tax regime, but a hard Brexit would probably hit Ireland and its capital hard.

Millions of tourists visit Dublin for a touch of Celtic culture, the many historic sites, the National Museum and of course a pint of Guinness.