He will join the likes of Glen Hansard and Paul Howard who are also confirmed to appear.
Jim Sheridan will be on hand to introduce some sort films that Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Irish Film Institure will present to celebrate the legacy of Jonathan Swift, on the 350th anniversary of his birth.
Featuring Mary McGuckian’s 'Words Upon the Window Pane', introduced by Jim Sheridan at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, as well as a season of shorts – Short and Swift – at Irish Film Institute.
Speaking about the screening of Words Upon the Window Pane, Jim Sheridan said: “Swift was one of Ireland’s most important and thought provoking writers, and I’m delighted to be involved in celebrating the 350th anniversary of his birth.
"It will be a unique experience to see Words Upon the Window Pane in Swift’s magnificent spiritual home, and I hope people will come and join us in exploring Swift’s legacy.”
Mary McGuckian’s atmospheric period piece 'Words Upon the Window Pane' is an adaptation of a one-act play by W.B. Yeats in which he explored the occult, a subject in which he had a life-long interest.
Set during a series of séances hosted by the Dublin Spiritualist Society in 1928, the spirits of Jonathan Swift (Jim Sheridan) and the two women who loved him too passionately – Stella (Bríd Brennan) and Vanessa (Orla Brady) – act out the torment of their tragic triangle through the mediums of Miss Henderson (Geraldine James) and Mrs McKenna (Geraldine Chaplin).
Tickets for the screening are free as part of the opening night of the Festival, but advance registration is recommended at www.jonathanswiftfestival.ie.
As part of the festival, the IFI presents two programmes of short films, celebrating the 350th anniversary of the birth of Jonathan Swift. The programmes will be presented in IFI throughout November on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday lunchtimes. They are presented free of charge to all comers. Simply collect your tickets at IFI Box Office. Check website www.ifi.ie for times.
The programme will include:
* Jonathan Swift, a film made by Kieran Hickey in 1967 to mark Swift’s 300th anniversary. The film explores Swift’s reflections on mental health, his life in Dublin and London and quotes from his articles, from "Gulliver's Travels", his letters, pamphlets and poems.
1967 / 23mins.

For further information about the festival log onto www.jonathanswiftfestival.ie

* John Huston’s Dublin, a travelogue espousing the joys of Dublin for US audiences in which film director John Huston visits places of touristic and heritage interest around Dublin including St Patrick’s Cathedral where he speaks with admiration of the work of Dean Jonathan Swift. 1979 / 30mins.