The O2
"It's Built, They're Coming"
Former names	The Point Theatre
General information
Type	Concert and events venue
Location	The O2 East Link Bridge North Wall Quay Dublin 1
Country	Ireland
Completed	December 2008
Opening	December 2008
Height	28 metres
Design and construction
Owner	Live Nation / Harry Crosbie
Architect	HOK SVE (Populous since 2009)
Services engineer	Buro Happold
Other information
Seating capacity	9,500 all seated or 14,500 seated + standing
Website
theo2.ie

The O2 (stylised as The O₂) is a 14,000-seat amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland, which opened on 16 December 2008. The venue is jointly owned by Live Nation and Harry Crosbie (Amphitheatre Ireland Limited) with Live Nation in charge of programme booking and operating the venue. Amphitheatre Ireland Limited have owned and operated the venue led by Mike Adamson (Live Nation) CEO of Amphitheatre Ireland Limited since 1989. The venue has played host to many world renowned performers. Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance first premiered at the O2 in 1996 and did a comeback in November 2010 during the European tour.

In 2011, The O2 was the second busiest concert venue in the world, in terms of ticket sales, only behind its counterpart in London.^[1] In 2012 in was named as the fifth busiest arena in the world with ticket sales of 670,000 putting in behind London's O2 Arena, The Manchester Arena, Antwerp's Sportpaleis and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena.

Naming[link]

The O2 was built on the site of the former Point Theatre,^[2] a smaller music venue which operated from 1988–2007, retaining only some of the outer facade. Following its closure, the site underwent major redevelopment and was renamed after the telecommunication brand, O2, similar to The O2 in London.^[3] O2 paid €25 million (not verified) and, as part of the deal, 10-15 per cent of concert tickets will be made available to their 1.6 million Irish subscribers up to 48 hours in advance of going on general sale and O2 customers will also get fast-track access to the venue on the night of gigs and have exclusive use of two of the 14 bars on site. The mobile phone company also plans to make music content from Live Nation events around the world available to its subscribers.^[4]

Structure and design[link]

The arena has a capacity of over 14,000 (standing) or 9,500 (seated). Retractable seating may be withdrawn to create space for 8,000 standing in front of the stage, with the remainder seated. The furthest seat is 60 metres from the stage, 20 metres closer than in The Point. This was achieved by arranging the seats around the stage in a gigantic "fan" formation which the architects likened to the Colosseum of Rome. There are no corporate boxes inside the venue. The backstage area has a "substantial" loading bay for trucks.^[5] Alcohol will only be available in a high-security area of the venue in an effort to curb under-age drinking.^[6] The venue is intended to stage 150 live events each year, catering to a projected target audience of one million customers annually.^[7] It is the largest indoor venue in the country. Prior to re-development, the seating capacity was 6,300 or 8,500 standing.

Panorama view of inside the venue

Events[link]

Mike Adamson (CEO of The O2) claimed that Irish fans had been short-changed when attending major events in the previous venue due to size restrictions. "It wasn't always possible to get every show touring in Europe into the venue because of restrictions. It is now. Some shows couldn't fit. For example, George Michael could only stage three-quarters of his production in the Point. We're up there now with other venues in Europe." Developer Harry Crosbie said that the Point had had a "grungy" feel "which suited Dublin at the time". He claimed that The O2 would be a "stunning venue" created for a more "sophisticated" audience.

Notable/historic performances[link]

U2 were the first band to play in the venue, when Bono and The Edge performed "Van Diemen's Land" and "Desire" to a private audience.^[8]

The first event to take place at the arena was the ChildLine Concert on 16 December 2008.^[9]

There was a controversial Guns N' Roses show in September 2010 during which the band had arrived a substantial amount of time late then had bottles hurled at them and stopped performing. Most of the audience then left the building in disgust, but the band later returned to finish the show.^{[10][11][12][13][14]}

Theatrical & Other Events[link]

On February 20, and 21, and again on October 26, 27, and 29 of 2010, pop superstar, Lady Gaga brought her record-breaking world tour, The Monster Ball Tour, to The O2. The O2 has also hosted many theatrical events including Aida, Britain's Got Talent Live Tour, The X Factor Live Tour. As well as Saltimbanco & Quidam events by Cirque du Soleil. Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds has also taken place at the venue. Cesar Millan also performed at the O2.British dance group and Britain's Got Talent Winners Diversity and Michael Flatley will also perform towards the end of 2010. Strictly Come Dancing will play at the venue in 2011. Batman Live, the worldwide arena tour has also been confirmed for 2011. The cast of Glee performed live at The O2 during summer 2011. WWE's Wrestlemania Revenge toured during April 2011. Also the Star for all Season Britney Spears performed there live during October, 2011, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. WWE RAW World Tour comes here on November 2nd with John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio Being the current main event for the WWE Championship.

Comedy events[link]

Comedians who have performed at The O2 include The Mighty Boosh, Lee Evans, Peter Kay, Frankie Boyle, and Ricky Gervais. Also Bill Bailey recorded his show "Dandelion Mind" at The O2 over 2 nights in Sept/Oct 2010. Alan Carr and Michael McIntyre have been announced for October 2011 and November 2012 respectively. Jerry Seinfeld supported by Mario Joyner May 13th 2012]]

Transport[link]

Patrons are advised to use public transport to get to the venue.^[15] Parking services for the nearby Point Village are suggested.^[16] In addition to the ferry services and shuttle buses noted on the venue's web site, Dublin Bus number 53 provides a scheduled public service to the venue. A LUAS light rail extension from the Red Line to the square in front of the venue opened on December 8, 2009, and links the DART train services at Connolly Station to the venue.

Due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic leaving the venue after concerts, extensive traffic restrictions are put in place along the North Wall Quay after such events, which can cause both the North Wall Quay and the East-Link (Dublin) toll bridge to be restricted for vehicular traffic by the Garda Síochána.

The Luas Red Line extension to the Point opened on December 8, 2009 to coincide with a performance by Lily Allen.^[17][18]

In addition, those traveling to the O2 from Dublin Airport can avail of either the Greystones or Dalkey Aircoach services which stop outside the venue, whilst several other private operators also call at the venue.

The Point

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The O2 (Dublin)

• Official site
• O2 Blueroom
• Hot Press on site at The O2
• RTÉ report on the venue's opening
• State Magazine photos of early shows: Kings of Leon Coldplay
• Hot Press photos: Kings of Leon AC/DC Beyoncé Knowles Def Leppard and Whitesnake Neil Young Britney Spears com/photos/photo.php?id=5712422 Leonard Cohen
• New Kids on the Block, Il Divo, Cirque du Soleil, Neil Young reviews at the Irish Independent
• Cirque du Soleil slideshow at The Irish Times

Coordinates: 53°20′51″N 06°13′43″W / 53.3475°N 6.22861°W / 53.3475; -6.22861

Dublin Baile Átha Cliath
Clockwise from top: Samuel Beckett Bridge, Trinity College, Custom House, Dublin Castle, O'Connell Bridge, and Convention Centre Dublin.
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Obedientia Civium Urbis Felicitas "The citizens' obedience is the city's happiness"[1]
Dublin Location of Dublin in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°20′52″N 6°15′35″W / 53.34778°N 6.25972°W / 53.34778; -6.25972Coordinates: 53°20′52″N 6°15′35″W / 53.34778°N 6.25972°W / 53.34778; -6.25972
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
Government
• Type	City Council
• Headquarters	Dublin City Hall
• Lord Mayor	Andrew Montague (Lab)
• Dáil Éireann	Dublin Central Dublin North–Central Dublin North–East Dublin North–West Dublin South–Central Dublin South–East
• European Parliament	Dublin constituency
Area
• City	114.99 km2 (44.40 sq mi)
Population
• City	527,612
• Density	4,588/km2 (11,880/sq mi)
• Urban	1,110,627
• Metro	1,804,156
• Demonym	Dubliner, Dub
• Ethnicity (2006 Census)	Ethnic groups 90.85% White 81.25% White Irish 9.23% White Other 0.37% Irish Traveller   3.34% Asian/Asian Irish   1.12% Black/Black Irish   1.47% Bi-Racial/Other   3.22% Not Stated
Time zone	WET (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (UTC+1)
Postal districts	D1-18, 20, 22, 24, D6W
Area code(s)	01
Website	www.dublincity.ie

Dublin ( /ˈdʌblɨn/; locally /ˈdʊbᵊlən/; Irish: Baile Átha Cliath, meaning "town of the hurdled ford", pronounced [blʲaˈklʲiə] or Áth Cliath, [aː klʲiə], occasionally Duibhlinn) is the capital and most populous city of Ireland.^[2][3] The English name for the city is derived from the Irish name Dubhlinn, meaning "black pool". Dublin is situated near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and the centre of the Dublin Region.

Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's principal city following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century; it was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire and the fifth largest in Europe. Dublin entered a period of stagnation following the Act of Union of 1800, but it remained the economic centre for most of the island. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, the new parliament, the Oireachtas, was located in Leinster House. Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State and later the Republic of Ireland.

Similar to the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford—Dublin is administered separately from its respective County with its own City Council. The city is listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha-", placing Dublin among the top 30 cities in the world.^[4][5] It is a historical and contemporary cultural centre for the country, as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administration, economy, and industry.

History[link]

Toponymy[link]

Although the area of Dublin Bay has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, the writings of Ptolemy (the Egyptian astronomer and cartographer) in about 140 AD provide possibly the earliest reference to a settlement there. He called the settlement Eblana Civitas.

The name Dublin comes from the Irish name Dubhlinn or Duibhlinn, meaning "black pool". This is made up of the elements dubh (black) and linn (pool). In most Irish dialects, dubh is pronounced [ˈd̪ˠʊvˠ] (usually [ˈdʊw] in Ulster Irish). The original pronunciation is preserved in the names for the city in other languages such as Old English Difelin, Old Norse Dyflin, modern Icelandic Dyflinn and modern Manx Divlyn. Duibhlinn is the name of a few other places in Ireland, whose names have been anglicized as Devlin,^[6] Divlin^[7] and Difflin.^[8] Historically, in the Gaelic script, bh was written with a dot over the b, rendering Duḃlinn or Duiḃlinn. Those without knowledge of Irish omitted the dot, spelling the name as Dublin.

Baile Átha Cliath, meaning "town of the hurdled ford", is the common name for the city in modern Irish. Áth Cliath is a place name referring to a fording point of the River Liffey near Father Mathew Bridge. Baile Átha Cliath was an early Christian monastery which is believed to have been in the area of Aungier Street, currently occupied by Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church.

Father Mathew Bridge is understood to be near the ancient "Ford of the Hurdles" (Baile Átha Cliath), the original crossing point on the River Liffey.

The subsequent Scandinavian settlement was on the River Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey in an area now known as Wood Quay. The Dubhlinn was a small lake used to moor ships and was connected to the Liffey by the Poddle. This lake was covered during the early 18th century as the city grew. The Dubhlinn was situated where the Castle Garden is now located, opposite the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle. Táin Bó Cuailgne ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") refers to Dublind rissa ratter Áth Cliath, meaning "Dublin, which is called Ath Cliath".

Middle Ages[link]

Dublin was established as a Viking settlement in the 9th century and, despite a number of rebellions by the native Irish, it remained largely under Viking control until the Norman invasion of Ireland was launched from Wales in 1169.^[9] The King of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Murchada, enlisted the help of Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke, to conquer Dublin. Following Mac Murrough’s death, Strongbow declared himself King of Leinster after gaining control of the city. In response to Strongbow's successful invasion, King Henry II of England reaffirmed his sovereignty by mounting a larger invasion in 1171 and pronouncing himself Lord of Ireland.^[10]

Dublin Castle was the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922.

Dublin Castle, which became the centre of English power in Ireland, was founded in 1204 as a major defensive work on the orders of King John of England.^[11] Following the appointment of the first Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1229, the city expanded and had a population of 8,000 by the end of the 13th century. Dublin prospered as a trade centre, despite an attempt by King Robert I of Scotland to capture the city in 1317.^[10] It remained a relatively small walled medieval town during the 14th century and was under constant threat from the surrounding native clans. In 1348, the Black Death, a lethal plague which had ravaged Europe, took hold in Dublin and killed thousands over the following decade.^[12][13]

Dublin was incorporated into the English Crown as The Pale, which was a narrow strip of English settlement along the eastern seaboard. The Tudor conquest of Ireland in the 16th century spelt a new era for Dublin, with the city enjoying a renewed prominence as the centre of administrative rule in Ireland. Determined to make Dublin a Protestant city, Queen Elizabeth I of England established Trinity College in 1592 as a solely Protestant university and ordered that the Catholic St. Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals be converted to Protestant.^[14]

The city had a population of 21,000 in 1640 before a plague in 1649–51 wiped out almost half of the city's inhabitants. However, the city prospered again soon after as a result of the wool and linen trade with England, reaching a population of over 50,000 in 1700.^[15]

Early modern[link]

Henrietta Street, developed in the 1720s, is the earliest Georgian Street in Dublin.

As the city continued to prosper during the 18th century, Georgian Dublin became, for a short period, the second largest city of the British Empire and the fifth largest city in Europe, with the population exceeding 130,000. The vast majority of Dublin's most notable architecture dates from this period, such as the Four Courts and the Custom House. Temple Bar and Grafton Street are two of the few remaining areas that were not affected by the wave of Georgian reconstruction and maintained their medieval character.^[14]

Dublin grew even more dramatically during the 18th century, with the construction of many famous districts and buildings, such as Merrion Square, Parliament House and the Royal Exchange.^[14] The Wide Streets Commission was established in 1757 at the request of Dublin Corporation to govern architectural standards on the layout of streets, bridges and buildings. In 1759, the founding of the Guinness brewery resulted in a considerable economic gain for the city. For much of the time since its foundation, the brewery was Dublin's largest employer.

Late modern and contemporary[link]

The GPO on O'Connell Street was at the centre of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Dublin suffered a period of political and economic decline during the 19th century following the Act of Union of 1800, under which the seat of government was transferred to the Westminster Parliament in London. The city played no major role in the Industrial Revolution, but remained the centre of administration and a transport hub for most of the island. Ireland had no significant sources of coal, the fuel of the time, and Dublin was not a centre of ship manufacturing, the other main driver of industrial development in Britain and Ireland.^[9] Belfast developed faster than Dublin during this period on a mixture of international trade, factory-based linen cloth production and shipbuilding.^[16]

The Easter Rising of 1916, the Irish War of Independence, and the subsequent Irish Civil War resulted in a significant amount of physical destruction in central Dublin. The Government of the Irish Free State rebuilt the city centre and located the new parliament, the Oireachtas, in Leinster House. Since the beginning of Anglo-Norman rule in the 12th century, the city has functioned as the capital in varying geopolitical entities: Lordship of Ireland (1171–1541), Kingdom of Ireland (1541–1800), island as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), and the Irish Republic (1919–1922).^[17] Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, it became the capital of the Irish Free State (1922–1949) and now is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. One of the memorials to commemorate that time is the Garden of Remembrance.

Since 1997, the landscape of Dublin has changed immensely. The city was at the forefront of Ireland's rapid economic expansion during the Celtic Tiger period, with enormous private sector and state development of housing, transport and business.

Government[link]