Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift visits Tubberneering

The story of Jonathan Swift’s visit to the Spa at Tubberneering is part of local folklore but it’s also backed up by written accounts of the incident in several articles.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is probably best known to many as the Anglo-Irish author of Gulliver’s Travels, one of the world’s great satirical fantasies. He was also a highly regarded political satirist and a poet. He served as the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin from 1713-1745, earning him the moniker ‘Dean Swift’.

He studied at Kilkenny College and Trinity College. Dean Swift often wrote about the terrible living conditions in Ireland, earning him the title of the ‘Hibernian Patriot’.

In his early 20s, Swift developed a debilitating illness that manifested as vertigo, dizziness, giddiness, and ‘ringing’ in the ear. This disease is known today as Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear for which there is still no cure.

Jonathan Swift was a friend of the Ram family in Gorey and travelled there in 1728 to visit the Spa at Tubberneering. While on the road near Gorey, Swift was knocked into the ditch by the coachman of Abel Ram, local landowner. On rising to his feet, Swift is supposed to have recited the lines:

‘England’s hope and Ireland’s glory

Was tipped in the ditch by the Ram of Gorey.’

Swift’s travelling companion, Thomas Sheridan, immortalised Abel Ram in his satirical writing as the ‘Squire Wether’ and the story entered folklore.

Another story tells of Ram inviting Swift to dinner and making fun at his expense by offering rabbit as the only food at the meal. Refusing to take the bait, Swift ate his meal as if all was normal until he was asked to say grace after the meal, at which point he recited:

We had rabbits young and rabbits old,

We had rabbits hot and rabbits cold,

We had rabbits tender and rabbits tough,

We thank Thee, Lord, we had rabbits enough.

Dean Jonathan Swift is buried in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral where you will find a monument to his name. There is also a bust dedicated to him in Trinity College library.

Facing the High Altar at St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Credit: Photographs by George P. Landow – https://victorianweb.org/places/cities/dublin/5c.html

St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Swift Bust – Credit: Photographs by George P. Landow – https://victorianweb.org/places/cities/dublin/5c.html

Swift Memorial Plaque – Credit: Photographs by George P. Landow – https://victorianweb.org/places/cities/dublin/5c.html

A Bust of Swift at Trinity College – Credit: Photographs by George P. Landow – https://victorianweb.org/places/cities/dublin/5c.html

Plaque for Stella (Hester Johnson) – Credit: Photographs by George P. Landow – https://victorianweb.org/places/cities/dublin/5c.html

Jonathan Swift on 'The Schools Collection' on Dúchas.ie

Read the account of Joanthan Swift’s encounter with the ‘Ram of Gorey’

With the kind permission of Volume 0823, Page 158 and “The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0891, Page 003 to 008” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.