This settlement embraces about four miles square of territory, partly in Kent and partly in Erin Township, from Willet's Grove to Callan's Corner, and is settled largely by Irish farmers, who came from the immediate vicinity of Dublin, on the Liffey. The first settlers have already been mentioned, viz., Bartholomew Doyle and Michael Murphey, who made their several claims during the years 1839 and 1840, and became the neighbors of James Timms, Jesse Willet, John Hart, and the pioneers generally who had preceded their arrival in the country.

Doyle, who remained on his claim sufficiently long to enable him to complete a limited improvement and donate three acres thereof for the site of St. Mary's Church, sold out his domain to Robert Franey, and moved west about half a mile, where he again began the opening and improvement of a farm. Soon after these adventurous travelers from the Green Sod had made claims and established the beginning of a life in the West, free from the trammels and discouragements encountered at home, they were followed hither by brothers and kin from the land of their birth, through whose labors and intelligence the little spot of land known as Dublin has been made a veritable Paradise.

They began to come in quite numerously about 1842, and thence to 1850, scarcely a week passed that the arrival of an additional toiler from over the sea was not noted. Among these were Andrew and George Cavanaugh, Andrew Farrell, who settled on land now owned by C. H. Hughes ; Dennis Maher, on land in Section 29, now owned by Daniel Brown; the family of a man named Burns, who, with his son. was drowned at Dixon, by the breaking of a bridge across Rock River. His widow and family, unappalled by this calamity, which greeted her arrival to the confines of a new home, pressed on, and was warmly welcomed to the new settlement by her sympathetic country-folk. Others came also, including John McNamara, Patrick Brown, etc., until the settlement became established, having a church and school of their own, and many other auxiliaries to comfort, happiness and independence. Indulging a spirit of that fellow-feeling which is said to make the whole world kin, that encouragement to the industrious and deserving poor which lightens the burden and illuminates the pathway, the Irish settlers of Dublin to-day, numbering about fifty families, cultivating an average of not less than 8,000 acres of land, living in harmony, one with the other, faithful to the duties daily imposed, charitable to all, present the picture of a life of felicity, sobriety and prosperity, as unusual as it is undeniable, and as gratifying as it is pronounced.

The first birth in the settlement occurred in 1843, a son to George Cavanagh. The first marriage solemnized was that of Robert Cavanagh to Bridget Maher, in 1844. A Mr. Gillis, died in December, 1845, the first death. He was taken sick during the autumn of that year, and, in spite of admonitions to care for himself, he continued to labor until about the date mentioned, when he "jumped the life to come," and was buried in the grove on Burns' Branch, when death and winter closed the autumn scene.

St. Mary's Church of the Mound
Dublin settlement was projected and completed in the days when the groves were God's first temples throughout the wilderness of Illinois. It was built of logs, being 18x20, and claimed as the first Catholic Church erected in the diocese, between Galena and Chicago, though the same claim is made for the Catholic Church in Rock Run Township, erected by the Mullark and Doyle families. St. Mary's was put up by the early settlers, eight logs high, but without furniture, i. e., pews or ornamentations, and occupied until 1857, when the present stone edifice, 35x75, was completed and consecrated. The first Pastors in the old church were the Rev. Fathers Schlaugenberg, Petitot, Brady, Keeney, Durvin, Cavanagh and McLaughlin. The present congregation numbers sixty families, under the pastorate of Father Michael Hogan. The realty of the church includes forty acres, five of which are appropriated to cemetery purposes. These are located opposite the church edifice, and contain quite a number of handsome monuments. The church property is valued, with the parsonage, at $10,000.

Knights of St. Patrick of New Dublin
A temperance association organized in District Schoolhouse No. 7, St. Patrick's Day, 1871, with twenty-two members. In 1874, the society purchased an acre of ground adjoining the school- house, on which was erected a frame hall one story high, 22x56 in dimensions. The labors of the association have been eminently successful ; the society at present enjoys a large membership, with the following officers, and owning property valued at $600 : Daniel Brown, President ; Bryan Duffy, Vice President ; Michael McGurk, Treasurer, and Peter Doyle, Secretary. Meetings are convened once a month.