Swourds House

Swords House

Swords House was built in 1403. It was a large red brick building. The entrance had a beautiful bronze gate with double leaf. It was about 8ft. high. There was a 10 ft. wall around the house. The house itself was four storeys high. There were 30-40 rooms in the house. There was a farm at the rear of the building. Colonel Forster fully illuminated the mansion to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1900 and he opened the gates to the public. During the “Troubles”, Swords House was occupied by the British Army, and it became known locally as the “Billet”.

Fingal County Hall

The house became derelict and was burned in 1986. It was bought by the Dublin County Council and was made into a park. This park was not too successful, and it was decided in the mid-1900s to use the site for the new offices of Fingal County Council. On 4 December 2000, Fingal County Council Offices were officially opened on the site of Swords House.