The Metropolis of Ireland
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PREVIOUSLY to any attempt.to ascertain the Population of the Metropolis, it will be necessary to determine what portion of ground should be deemed to constitute it, and to ascertain its limits by fixed and well marked boundaries, so as to facilitate the comparison of the late Census of this district with any that may be undertaken at a future period. It is evident, that if the term "Metropolis" be taken as expressive of a collection of houses contiguous to one another, or nearly so, the limits of the corporate jurisdiction of the City of Dublin cannot be assumed as a standard; inasmuch as their adoption would occasion, on the one hand, an omission of the dense population of the Parishes of St. Keven, St. Luke, and the Deanery and Liberty of St. Patrick's, together with that of parts of the Parishes of St. Catherine, St. James, and St. Nicholas without, all lying on the South side of the River Liffey; and on the North side, that of the whole Parish of St. George, and the Manor or Parish of Grangegorman; while, on the other hand, the large district lying to the South side of Dublin Bay, from Ringsend to the Blackrock, would be included. The Rev. Mr. Whitelaw, in order to attain the object now proposed; viz. the Population of the Metropolis taken in the sense above mentioned, assumed the Circular Road as a. boundary line, which, as comprehending most of the buildings that seem to be included within the Metropolis, might also have been adopted in the present instance, did not the Grand and Royal Canals afford a boundary line still more strongly marked along nearly three fourths of the circumference, while the Circular Road, with some slight deviations, forms the remainder. The adoption of this line, which is somewhat more extended than that chosen by Mr. Whitelaw, which it for the most part includes, enables the calculations to embrace several streets and lines of buildings, that are merely continuations of those within Mr. Whitelaw’s boundary, and therefore ought not to be omitted. Commencing therefore from the point at which the Grand Canal Docks communicate with the River Liffey, and proceeding in a South-western direction, the boundary line which contains the Population given in the ensuing Table, as constituting that of the Metropolis, is supposed to pass through these Docks, and along the line of the Grand Canal to Griffith's Bridge, at which point, the South circular cut unites with the main trunk. Thence along the main trunk to the first lock, from which it takes a direction due North through the fields, to the angle of the Circular Road leading to Kilmainham (including the Gaol and part of Inchicore road;) thence still northwards, in the direction of the Circular Road, by St. John’s Well, including the village of Island Bridge to Sarah Bridge. From Sarah Bridge, it proceeds along the centre of Conyngham road to the Park-gate at Park-gate street; thence through the Park, along the bye road which leads northwards into the Circular Road (including the Royal Infirmary); thence along the , centre of the North circular road to Blaquiere Bridge, on the Royal Canal; and thence, along the inner bank of this Canal to its junction with the Liffey at the North wall. The district within these boundaries, includes;mdash;1st. All the City jurisdiction, except that part on the South side of the Liffey which lies to the East of the Canal Docks, comprehending parts of the Parishes of St. Peter, St. Mark, and Saint Mary Donnybrook, in which are the Villages of Irishtown, Sandymount, Donnybrook, and part of the Black Rock; and, on the North side, that part of St.Thomas’s Parish to the East of the Royal Canal. 2d. The whole of the Liberty of St. Sepulchre. 3d. The Deanery and Liberty of St. Patrick’s. 4th. The Liberty of St. Thomas and Donore. 5th. Parts of St. James’s, St. Catherine’s, and of Kilmainham Parishes, in the County of Dublin. 6th. Part of the Manor of Grangegorman;mdash;and, 7th. The whole of the Parish of St. George; both of which are in the County of Dublin. But as it may be deemed by some more correct to adhere as closely as possible to the boundaries of Parishes, wherever it can be done consistently with an adherence to the principle of contiguity of buildings, in determining the extent of the Metropolis; and therefore, that, instead of making the Canals and Docks the eastern boundary of the City, the whole of the Parishes of St. Peter, St. Mark, and St. Thomas, should be included, a Supplementary Table has been added, which contains the Population of the parts of those Parishes lying without the line of demarcation above laid down ; so that the Population may be estimated, both according to the visible Boundary of the Canals, or to a Parochial boundary, which is in some parts imaginary.V.
The Metropolis of Ireland.