The election, being the first following the 1898 changes to Irish local government, saw substantive changes to the franchise.

Prior to these changes, the franchise had been restricted to males over the age of 21 who had maintained a continual residence within the borough for the preceding 2 years and 8 months, thereby preventing Dublin's large lodger and floating tenement population from voting.

[2] The 60 seats for election were contested by 120 candidates; 18 Unionists, 10 Labourites, 88 Nationalists, and 1 representative of the Irish Socialist Republican Party.

[3] The election saw the Redmonites, who had previously dominated the council, substantially reduced.

United Irish League representation increased substantially to 27.