fire-brigade is maintained by the corporation. The city
coroner is a corporate officer. The city hall, used as municipal
offices, has already been mentioned; the official residence of the lord
mayor is the Mansion House, Dawson Street. The Dublin metropolitan
police is a force peculiar to the city, the remainder of Ireland being
protected civilly by the Royal Irish Constabulary. A large military
force is usually maintained in the city of Dublin, which is the
headquarters of the military district of Dublin and of the staff of
Ireland (q.v.). The troops are accommodated in several large barracks in
various parts of the city.

_Charities._--The number of charitable institutions is large. The
hospital and Free School of King Charles I., commonly called the Blue
Coat hospital, was founded in 1670. It is devoted to the education and
maintenance of the sons of citizens in poor circumstances. Before the
Irish Parliament Houses were erected the parliament met in the school
building. Among hospitals those of special general interest are the
Steevens, the oldest in the city, founded under the will of Dr Richard
Steevens in 1720; the Mater Misericordiae (1861), which includes a
laboratory and museum, and is managed by the Sisters of Mercy, but
relieves sufferers independently of their creed; the Rotunda lying-in
hospital (1756); the Royal hospital for incurables, Donnybrook, which
was founded in 1744 by the Dublin Musical Society; and the Royal
Victoria Eye and Ear hospital, Adelaide Road, which amalgamated (1904)
two similar institutions. Lunatics are maintained in St Patrick's
hospital, founded in 1745, pursuant to the will of Dean Swift, and
conducted by governors appointed under the charter of incorporation. The
Richmond lunatic asylum, erected near the House of Industry, and placed
under the care of officers appointed by government, receives patients
from a district consisting of the counties of Dublin, Louth, Meath and
Wicklow, each of these contributing towards its expenses in proportion
to the number of patients sent in. Besides these public establishments
for the custody of lunatics, there are in the vicinity of Dublin various
private asylums. The principal institution for blind men (and also those
afflicted by gout) is Simpson's hospital (1780), founded by a merchant
of Dublin; while blind women are maintained at the Molyneux asylum
(1815). An institution for the maintenance and education of children
born deaf and dumb is