Fire destroyed Swift’s cottage

The oval shaped thatched property, located near Kilroot Railway Station, was engulfed in flames in June 1959.

It was thought that Swift had lived in the Round House whilst he wrote his “Tale of a Tub”.

When the matter was raised in Parliament, the Minister of Finance claimed that the residence had never been officially established as Swift’s home.

Although the cottage had already been partially demolished, Carrick Fire Brigade battled to save the remainder.

The owner Gilbert Wilson claimed that Swift had resided in a cottage at Demesne Farm which became a creamery.