On the 5th of November, which was the beginning of summer in those parts, the weather being very hazy, the seamen spied a rock within half a cable’s length of the ship; but the wind was so strong, that we were driven directly upon it, and immediately split.
And thus did Mr. Lemuel Gulliver encounter the island of Lilliput on this day in 1699, according to Jonathan Swift. Near Castletown-Geoghegan in Co. Westmeath, by the edge of Lough Ennell, is Lilliput House. The area was renamed in honour of Swift when he became famous, since he was a frequent visitor to the locality. The house was built later, and houses an adventure centre today. The picture above was taken on a beautiful, starry night last January .