Dublin, County, is a historical and geographical area in the province of Leinster in Ireland, also called the Republic of Ireland. In the Irish language, the area is called Contae Átha Cliath or Réigiúin Átha Cliath. In 1994, County Dublin was divided into four subcounties and officially renamed Dublin Region. It includes the administrative areas of Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Fingal County, and South-Dublin County. Dublin City is the capital and largest city in Ireland. For information on Dublin City, see Dublin.
County Dublin covers roughly 356 square miles (921 square kilometers). The area consists mainly of lowlands divided by the River Liffey. To the south, the land rises upon the slopes of the Wicklow Mountains. Dublin Bay lies to the east. Several islands, including Lambay and Ireland’s Eye, are part of the area.
Fishing is important to the economy of County Dublin. Cattle, oat, and potato farms lie in the outskirts of the area. Industrial production has long been important in the city of Dublin. Service industries, including communications, finance, professional and technical services, and retail and wholesale trade, increased in importance in Dublin County after Ireland became part of the European Union (EU) in 1993. Finance and technology firms attracted thousands of workers to the area from other EU countries.
