Dublin

Dublin, Georgia may not get the same attention that its’ neighboring cities Macon and Warner Robins do, but Dublin has a rich cultural history and a phenomenal food scene that can rival not just any city in Middle Georgia, but the whole state.

The city was founded in the early 1800’s by Jonathan Sawyer, an Irish immigrant. He had agreed to donate the land for erection of public buildings provided the town was named for Dublin, Ireland the original home of his wife. The General Assembly incorporated Dublin by an act on December 9, 1812 (Georgia Laws 1812, page 94).

Dublin is seated just west of the Oconee River and although it is famous for its’ Irish heritage and St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival, it’s most notable and surprising claim to fame, is its’ place and purpose in Civil Rights and African-American History. Dublin’s 1st A.B. Church, served as the site where a 14 year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his first public speech, “The Negro and the Constitution.”

On April 17, 1944, MLK Jr. was at the Dublin church for a state-wide public speaking contest, which he won, and it was there that, “a seed was planted in his heart that would grow into his life’s work. His journey to the mountain top began here.” (Historic plaque at 1st African Baptist Church of Dublin, Georgia)