Author and former spy enjoyed sea air in Groomsport
By Julie Waters
THE close ties of former fighter pilot, novelist and spy Frederick Forsyth to the picturesque village of Groomsport have been revealed this week.
The world-renowned author, who died at the age of 86 earlier this month, regularly visited Groomsport to visit his mother in law, Esther Cunningham, with his first wife Carole.
As a writer, he turned his work with MI6 and as a journalist, into bestselling thrillers. He sold over 75 million books, in over 30 different languages, including The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and the Dogs of War.
Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers has recalled his friendship with the author’s family that developed after they set up an account in his supermarket and he regularly delivered groceries to Mrs Cunningham.
The MLA believes few local people may have realised the novelist, whose thrillers were enjoyed by readers across the globe, was regularly visiting the village.
Said Mr Chambers: “When he (Mr Forsyth) visited Groomsport he walked freely around the village enjoying the sea air and character of the village.
“For such a famous person he had no airs and graces about him that you sometimes find in people that have achieved a degree of personal success in life.”
“I had the privilege of chatting with him on a number of occasions when he and his then wife Carole regularly visited her mother Esther at her home in The Brae. Frederick and Carole were a very relaxed and grounded couple.
“Carole had worked as an air hostess and later had a career as a model. She had been born and bred in Belfast and was married to Frederick from 1973 until their divorce in 1988.”
He said his supermarket would regularly pick up essential supplies such as medication as well as groceries for Mrs Cunnigham.
“We would send an invoice to Carrie at the end of each month to her then home in St John’s Wood in London and received a cheque by return post,” said Mr Chambers.
“Carrie was very grateful for this service and the staff received a very generous financial gift to share at Christmas time.”
Mr Chambers described the author as a ‘man of many talents and adventures’ and shared one particularly memorable story about the author.
“He shared with me that instead of working from home he commuted each day into a tiny attic office in Central London as this motivated him to actually work,” said the MLA.
“It was also close to the British Museum and other centres of information. He was meticulous in researching his writings and the location of his little office worked well.”
Recalling one of the highlights of Mr Forsyth’s career, Mr Chambers said: “In his most famous novel, The Day of the Jackal, he detailed how easy it was to obtain a false UK passport after deploying his eye to detailed research. At the time he faced criticism from the government for putting this method into the public domain.
“His response to this criticism was to tell the government that he was helping them to close a door on a flawed system that could compromise national security.”
Although Mr Forsyth and his first wife Carole divorced, Mr Chambers said the author’s links to Northern Ireland remained.
“After he divorced Carole in 1988 he married Sandy Molloy in 1994 who passed away in 2024 after a long illness, with Frederick being her main carer,” he said.
“A recent local newspaper article reported that he paid regular visits to ensure Carole was being well cared for in a nursing home in Belfast.”
Mr Chambers said he was ‘saddened’ to learn of Mr Forsyth’s passing.
“One of my prized possessions is a first edition hard back copy of his book, The Fourth Protocol, that had a signed personal message of thanks for the help I give his mother-in-law, Esther Cunningham, dated January 15, 1985.”
