Captain John Kelly pursued the German cruiser Goeben to Messina (off the north coast of Sicily) on 4 August 1914 just prior to the outbreak of the First World War.

On 6 August after having completed coaling, Dublin left Malta at 14:00 to join Rear-Admiral Ernest Troubridge's squadron.

The chase was lost as a daylight attack would be suicidal; Goeben’s largest guns could accurately fire explosive shells up to 10 miles (16 km) away.

In February 1915, Dublin was sent to the Dardanelles and subsequently assisted Implacable's landing assault upon Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915 at X Beach.

While taking part in a sweep off the Albanian coast, and whilst escorted by French and Italian destroyers, Dublin was hit and damaged by a torpedo from the Austro-Hungarian Navy submarine U-4 on 9 June 1915.

Dublin served in the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron alongside Southampton, Birmingham and Nottingham with the Grand Fleet from 1916 to 1919.

On 3 May 1917 in the North Sea, Dublin with the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney and four destroyers (Nepean, Obdurate, Pelican, Pylades), left Rosyth for a sweep between the mouths of the Forth and the Humber.

The following day, during an action in the North Sea, Dublin observed the Zeppelin L 43 about 17 miles away to the east at 10:25, rapidly approaching a strange vessel.