A first edition novel by an Ulster author who went down with the Lusitania in wartime 1915 is catching the excited eyes of antique book enthusiasts.

For A Banker's Love Story by Ballyclare-born Archibald McIlroy —considered the Jeffrey Archer of his day — is coming up for sale at a book fair being held in Belfast later this month.

The 1901 novel, one of a handful which brought international acclaim to McIlroy before his tragic death when the Lusitania was sunk by the Germans during World War I, is one of the star attractions at the 27th Annual Belfast Book Fair in the Wellington Park Hotel on October 17.

Fair promoter Jim Vallely said he is expecting significant interest in the first edition book not just because so few copies of McIlroy’s books are around today — but also because of the tragic end the author met.

McIlroy was on his way home on the Lusitania from a visit to New York, where his work was in big demand, when she was attacked and sunk by a German submarine eight miles off the Irish coast.

He was one of the 1,198 souls who perished when the civilian cruise liner sank in just eight minutes off Kinsale.

It is understood the writer was carrying the only copy of his latest book on the Lusitania when he died.

He may have been carrying the pages of the book in his suitcase, believes New York dealer Winnard Hope, who has searched in vain for secondary copies of the manuscript.

The fact that any new book by McIlroy has so far failed to surface makes the emergence of this vintage copy of A Banker's Love Story all the more of an attraction.

“There are few McIlroy books around nowadays,” Mr Vallely said.

“So there is definitely going to be a lot of interest in this copy, especially as the author ended up at the bottom of the ocean in the liner tragedy.”

The promoter said it was difficult to estimate how much the book would go for in the end.

“It is one for a collector rather than a reader. I'm told the tale is worth curling up in an armchair with although I have to admit I've never read it myself,” he added.

“There has always been speculation that McIlroy was carrying with him on the Lusitania the manuscript of his next yarn. Wouldn't it be lovely if it turned out that somewhere there is a secondary copy of that script lying around?

“Trouble is, Archibald wrote everything out in longhand and if he did have the pages of a new book with him on board he would have been bringing it home to have a secretary make out proper copies for his publisher.”

The book fair runs from 10am to 5pm on October 17.

There will be 35 stands displaying thousands of antiquarian, rare, secondhand and out-of-print books.