Po získání magisterského titulu na univerzitě v Oxfordu se Swift dal vysvětit na kněze Irské církve. Po Templeově smrti roku 1699 působil deset let jako farář v irském Laracoru u Dublinu.
Jonathan Swift: Irish Blow-in covers the arc of the first half of Jonathan Swift's life, offering fresh details of the contentment and exuberance of his childhood, of the support he received from his grandmother, of his striking affection…
He points out, for instance, that Swift's irony is not continuous, and that his sense of form is not ours. We should not see him as producing elaborate artistic structures, but as meeting particular needs which forced themselves upon him.