Portobello, Dublin. In Dublin, Portobello (Irish: Cuan Aoibhinn – meaning ‘beautiful harbour’) is an area stretching westwards from South Richmond Street as far as Upper Clanbrassil Street bordered on the north by the South Circular Road and on the south by the Grand Canal. Portobello came into existence as a small suburb south of the city of Dublin in the 18th century, centred around Richmond St. During the following century it was completely developed, transforming an area of private estates and farmland into solid Victorian red-bricked living quarters for the middle classes (on the larger streets), and terraced housing bordering the canal for the working classes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portobello,_Dublin