Where the divide originates and how we still see that divide today in policies and practice.
The Northside and Southside of Dublin are geographically divided by the River Liffey. The Southside has predominantly been associated with individuals of a higher income and members of a societally perceived upper class, whereas the Northside has historically been associated with a lower socioeconomic standing and working class communities. However, such economic and class divides did not always follow the same geographical boundaries. The first Georgian houses built to attract higher-income protestants were built on the Northside, on Henrietta Street. However, when the Earl of Kildare built a lavish home on the Southside named Kildare House (which was later renamed Leinster House and now houses the Oireachtas), members of the upper class relocated to the south, which is thought to have initiated ,or at least impacted, the divide which can still be seen today. As the upper class left the Georgian Houses in the Northside, these properties became tenements for the poor, with several families residing in one house in some of the most brutal conditions.
The Celtic Tiger as understood as a boom in Irish economic development is often a misleading concept. The Celtic Tiger was an economic boom, but the benefits of it were primarily experienced by already affluent areas. In socioeconomically underprivileged areas, the Celtic Tiger had little effect and, in some cases, a negative effect - as the economic boom primarily focused on technology and jobs requiring education, much of the underprivileged population struggled to benefit. Another layer of the division is due to the relocation of communities from inner city Dublin to housing estates and apartments on the outskirts. In the 19th and 20th centuries, slums developed in the inner city in some of the severely deprived areas. Communities living in these deprived areas were relocated as part of a council housing project, from between the 1930s and the 1980s. After the relocation, little was done to further help support the population - they were relocated but not supplied with resources where they were relocated leading to mass unemployment, isolation, and difficulties with criminal activity.
The economic divide can further be acknowledged between the North and South side of Dublin by the levels of homelessness being significantly higher in the North of Dublin. North Dublin is often associated with higher levels of anti-social activity, crime and addiction issues. However, when these issues are discussed, it is rarely alongside the historically significant events that led to the Northside being economically deprived. This economic deprivation led to high unemployment and lack of opportunities - thus resulting in the increase of the social issues of crime, addiction and homelessness. These issues are often stated as the reasoning behind the Northside's lack of economic development, instead of being discussed as a ramification of the initial economic divide.
Even if an equal number of resources are given between the North and the Southside, there has been a long-standing history of an inequality of resources due to economic and class divide. This economic and class division can continue to be seen today, due to the lack of resources historically allocated to working class communities. It is also worth noting that there exists socioeconomic divides within North Dublin and South Dublin individually, with Malahide in the North being one of the most wealthy areas in Ireland, and Jobstown in the South being one of the most deprived populations. In further allocating resources across Dublin, we must use history to inform us.