Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Irish) to drink, to eat; also fig. use.

1830		W. Carleton ‘Larry M’Farland’s Wake Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry I 193: Thank you, Alick; you think I swally that: but . . .
1879		C.J. Kickham Knocknagow 26: A duck ’ud swally all he’d be able to turn out from morning to night.
1942		(con. 1890s) S. O’Casey Pictures in the Hallway 79: Swally up the remainder of what yeh have there, an’ be off, like a good man.
1943		‘Myles na gCopaleen’ Faustus Kelly in ‘Flann O’Brien’ Stories & Plays (1973) 186: Shure if you’d any sense, you’d be out swallying balls of malt like the rest of us.
1973		H. Leonard Da (1981) Act II: The way you swally-ed them. Begod, says I to meself, that fellow would drink Lough Erin dry.
2020		G. Armstrong Young Team 5: Me n aw ma pals juststarted swallyin’ oot on the streets properly.