Chapter 34 - Dublin

Summary

Swift was, in modern parlance, a Dubliner: he was born in the Irish capital, died there, and for more than half of his life kept his principal residence there. But he was bitterly critical of the urban world around him, repeatedly declaring his preference for the Irish countryside or for English hospitality in place of the depressing reality of life in the heart of Dublin. This chapter explores Swift’s troubled relationship with the city of his birth, looking at its social and political make-up during his lifetime, and how he portrayed the city in his writings.