South Dublin: History
In 1985, County Dublin was divided into three electoral counties: Dublin–Fingal, Dublin–Belgard, and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. At the 1991 local election, the area of Dublin–Belgard was renamed as South Dublin. The name Belgard did have a historical association with the area, being the designation of one of the border fortresses of the Pale that existed in that area. It was altered due to a view that the name Belgard might create associations with areas of modern development in Tallaght that now also uses that name.
On 1 January 1994, under the provisions of the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993, County Dublin ceased to exist, and was succeeded by the counties of Fingal, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown and South Dublin in the areas of the electoral counties. Under the act, South Dublin County Council (together with Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council) became one of the three "successor" councils to Dublin County Council. The boundaries of South Dublin were finalised in 1993, to accommodate the M50 motorway.
Various organs of state use alternative subdivisions of Dublin for administrative reasons, for example, the Dublin postal codes.