The History of Dublin Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eblana

Ptolemy wrote about an Irish settlement called Eblana in 140 AD. For centuries, Eblana was taken for the area that would later become Dublin. However, more recently scholarship suggests Eblana was actually referring to what is now Loughshinny, a small coastal village because of the way Ptolemy describes Eblana in relationship to potential Roman invasions and trade routes.

Despite this, Eblana is part of Dublin's legends and founding.

Answer: Dublin Castle

The Vikings settled Dyflin around 841. Dyflin means black pool and refers to the tidal pool where the River Poddle meets the River Liffey. Today, that tidal pool is located near Dublin Castle, which was built in 1204 and defended all around by the two rivers. The tidal pool no longer exists, but a garden with fountains was built over where it once was.

Answer: He drove the Vikings from Dublin

Diarmait Mac Murchada was an Irish King who drove the Vikings out of Dublin. The Vikings had previously lost a lot of power in the city after they lost the 1014 Battle of Clontarf, but they remained in Dublin for commercial purposes. Diarmait Mac Murchada drove them out in 1171, and a subsequent invasion by the Vikings failed.

Although Mac Murchada died shortly afterward, his reign allowed Christianity to spread in Ireland, when he opened the country to Anglo settlers.

Answer: The Liberties

The Liberties were the suburbs of Dublin where native Irish-Gaelic people were supposed to live. When King Richard II of England took control of Ireland during the 14th century, tensions began between the English and Irish. The Irish were later expelled from Dublin proper.

The English settled in a region called the Pale. However, the Irish wound up integrating within the Pale and Dublin city anyway, so much so that Irish and English speakers were more or less equal in number within the Pale. By the mid-16th century, the British Crown had largely lost interest in Ireland, which eased, but did not eliminate tensions.

Answer: The English Reformation

The English Reformation saw the English Crown move away from Catholicism and toward Protestantism. However, Ireland remained loyal to the Pope which caused severe tensions. Dublin saw numerous rebellions against the English, including the Second Desmond Rebellion which lasted for years and saw the imprisonment and execution of many of Dublin's leaders; they had refused to abandon their Catholic faith.

This included Mayor Margaret Ball, who was imprisoned in Dublin Castle's dungeons for three years before dying.

Answer: It has never been determined

The cause of the Dublin Gunpowder Explosion has never been determined, but some facts are known. The explosion occurred on Winetavern Street and on Dublin's quays. The English brought in large barrels of gunpowder to use during the Nine Years' War. However, the gunpowder porters went on strike when the official in charge threatened to withhold their pay.

As a result, the gunpowder barrels stacked up until the explosion occurred on March 11, 1597. 126 people perished, but the destruction of a large part of Dublin allowed the aging city to be rebuilt in a more modern fashion. What caused the explosion has never been determined. At the time, the explosion was blamed on dry weather conditions, but experts do not believe the dry conditions were severe enough to cause it.

Answer: Oliver Cromwell

James Butler, Duke of Ormand, led the Irish forces against Michael Jones, an Irishman loyal to the English. Although Butler had superior numbers, he was defeated by Jones in the suburb of Rathmines. This was part of a larger effort by the Irish to capture Dublin from the English. With Butler's defeat, Oliver Cromwell was able to send more troops into Ireland beginning his four-year conquest of Ireland.

Answer: 9,000

Arthur Guinness was an Irish brewer who first began his business in Leixlip, Ireland, before leasing the unused St. James's Gate Brewery in 1759. He began exporting beer in 1769.

Guinness is one of the most recognized and infamous beer brands in the world. Although the company has undergone many changes and corporate takeovers over the years, Guinness is still located in St. James's Gate. However, the company's infamous 9,000-year lease is no longer in effect, despite common misbelief. This is because Guinness outright bought the land it occupies as well as much of the surrounding areas.

Answer: Irish National Invincibles

The Irish National Invincibles were a radical separatist group who splintered off from the Irish Republican Brotherhood. The Invincibles were seen as violent and were largely unpopular with the Irish population, who saw their actions as counterproductive to the goal of Irish Independence.

The Phoenix Park Murders occurred in 1882. Members of the Invincibles murdered two English politicians who had arrived in Dublin that day. Lord Cavendish and Thomas Burke were attacked and stabbed in Phoenix Park. Burke was the intended target as he has been responsible for enforcing British rule over Ireland within the nation.

Answer: False

Ireland remained neutral during World War II (or the Emergency as it was called in Ireland) largely because of the tumultuous time in Ireland during its fight for independence the previous two decades and a shaky relationship with England. Although many Irish people fought in the war as part of the English military, Ireland was officially neutral.

Some members of the Irish Republican Army had wanted to take the side of Germany in the hopes Germany would return the favor and fight for the Irish in Northern Ireland. This led to the Christmas Raid on Magazine Fort. Ireland was officially neutral during the war, however, Dublin was bombed a few times during the war by German forces. Although they were declared accidental, suspicion arose that the bombings were actually intentional as punishment for Ireland sending aid to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The most notable bombing occurred on May 31, 1941, in North Strand, which saw dozens of fatalities and many more injuries.