Geography Department

Physical

Relief:

• Flat or undulating, rising sharply to the Dublin Mountains in the south.

Climate:

• Precipitation at 800mm is much lower than in the West – rain shadow
• Average Winter  temp 6C
• Average Summer  temp 16C

Soils:

• Predominant – Brown Earth – deep, fertile, much of the land is arable – suitable for ploughing and crop production.

Primary

Agriculture:

• Small number of farms but – very productive, intensive(high value of land demands), specialist – wheat, potatoes, vegetables
• Market Gardening – greenhouses, labour intensive, labour shortages – immigrant labour
• Dublin Mts – sheep grazing
• To be competitive farms are more mechanised, larger and have a higher percentage of younger more innovative farmers
• Average farm income is 40% above the national average

Fishing:

• Howth, Skerries
• Large market for fresh fish – over 1 million
• Over fishing, pollution – limits aquaculture
• Boats have to travel further to access deep water

Secondary

Very strong manufacturing sector, both traditional and modern growth industries, employs over 63,000 people.  Metal and engineering are the most important sectors.

• Rapid growth in recent years
• Dublins industrial output accounts for 28% of Irelands industrial output.
• Wages in the Dublin manufacturing sector are 10% higher than the national average
• Widely distributed across the urban region
• Dependence on foreign companies is greater than in the BMW, this leaves the region open to potential problem if there is a global or economic recession
• Future prospects for continued development good – must promote research and development
• Zoning – large industrial estates – M50
• Why so successful?
  • Large port and airport – easy to import and export
  • Large, affluent market
  • Large labour pool – educated, skilled
  • Nodal centre
  • Services – advertising, accounting etc.

Tertiary

• Service industries account for 80% of employment in the city.
• All of the major service sectors are found in the city – entertainment, commercial, retail, health, education
• It is the country’s capital and decision making centre
• Decentralisation

Telecommunications

• Call centres – Sandyford, Blackrock
• National Digital Park – City West – 50 companies employing 1,700 people – a hub for high tech communications and e-commerce companies

Tourism

• Main point of entry
• New terminal at Dublin airport
• International sporting and cultural events, historic buildings, city break

Transport

• €2.8 billion is being invested in the Luas, new bus routes, quality bus corridors and expanded DART and suburban rail services.
• New Metro system, costing €7.2 billion to build – link to airport

Human Processes

• Rapidly growing population – 1.3 million
• Population is younger – higher birth rate, lower death rate
• An estimated 83% of Ireland’s third level places are in Dublin
• Inward migration in recent years due to a labour shortage
• 250,000 people immigrated to Ireland between 1995-2000, a large number of these settled in Dublin.
• Intercultural classrooms
• Challenge – integration of different racial and ethnic groups
• Female participation in the labour force is above average
• Some educational blackspots  – truancy and early school leaving
• Link between educational attainment and employment prospects
• Trinity College is offering bridging courses to students from disadvantaged areas
• Inner City renewal – Ballymun, Fatima Mansions
• Demolished and replaced by a mix of public and private housing, aims to end ghettoisation
• Inner city redevelopment – Temple Bar, Smithfield,

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