nufacture of cotton hosiery at Balbriggan. The haddock, herring and
other fisheries, both deep-sea and coastal, are important, and
Kingstown is the headquarters of the fishery district. The salmon
fishery district of Dublin also affords considerable employment. As
containing the metropolis of Ireland, the communications of the county
are naturally good, several important railways and two canals
converging upon the city of Dublin, under the head of which they are
considered.

_Population and Administration._--The population (148,210 in 1891;
157,568 in 1901) shows a regular increase, which, however, is not
consistent from year to year. About 70% are Roman Catholics, the
Protestant Episcopalians (24%) standing next. The chief towns, apart
from the capital, are Balbriggan (pop. 2236), Blackrock (8719), Dalkey
(3398), Killiney and Ballybrack (2744), Pembroke (25,799), Rathmines and
Rathgar (32,602), and the important port of Kingstown (17,377). These
are urban districts. Skerries, Howth and Rush are small maritime towns.
There are nine baronies in the county, which, including the city of
Dublin, are divided into 100 parishes, all within the Protestant and
Roman Catholic dioceses of Dublin. Assizes are held in Dublin, and
quarter sessions also in the capital, and at Balbriggan, Kilmainham,
Kingstown and Swords. Previous to the union with Great Britain, this
county returned ten representatives to the Irish Parliament,--two for
the county, two for the city, two for the university, and two for each
of the boroughs of Swords and Newcastle. The county parliamentary
divisions are now two, north and south, each returning one member. The
city of Dublin constitutes a separate county.

_History._--Dublin is among the counties generally considered to have
been formed by King John, and comprised the chief portion of country
within the English pale. The limits of the county, however, were
uncertain, and underwent many changes before they were fixed. As late as
the 17th century the mountainous country south of Dublin offered a
retreat to the lawless, and it was not until 1606 that the boundaries of
the county received definition in this direction, along with the
formation of the county Wicklow. Although so near the seat of government
67,142 acres of profitable land were forfeited in the Rebellion of 1641
and 34,536 acres in the Revolution of 1688. In 1867 the most formidable
of the Fenian risings took place near the village