County Dublin refers to a subdivision of Ireland occasioned by the Norman invasion of Ireland. This shire or county underwent further subdivisions as the territory was subinfeudated by the great barons among their vassals; these smaller areas were known as baronies. Under the government of the Kingdom of Ireland, baronies were in turn split into civil parishes. These also were split into the lowest recognised legal unit of land - the townland.
While County Dublin is not recognised as a local government area, the term "County Dublin" remains in common usage, including by state organs. County Dublin is a recognised placename in the Placenames Database of Ireland.[1][2] Residents in all four local government areas share a collective Dublin identity. Dublin is still organised as a county by the Gaelic Athletic Association in the case of Dublin GAA.
Although the Electoral Commission should, as far as practicable, avoid breaching county boundaries when recommending Dáil constituencies, this does not include the boundaries of a city or the boundary between the three counties in Dublin.[6]
Prior to the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919, the city of Dublin was divided into wards and County Dublin was divided into district electoral divisions (DEDs) to elect local councillors. After the introduction of multi-member districts elected by the single transferable vote, these units were combined to create local electoral areas. In 1996, wards and DEDs were both renamed as electoral divisions, which are used to define electoral boundaries.
^Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, Article 5 and Schedule 3 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 30 April 2023.
^Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 206 of 2020). Signed on 8 June 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 10 January 2022.; Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 5) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 352 of 2020). Signed on 19 September 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 14 January 2022.