Joseph Campbell (poet)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Campbell was an Irish poet
and lyricist
. He wrote under the Gaelicised version of his name Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil (also Seosamh MacCathmhaoil). He is now remembered best for words he supplied to traditional airs, such as My Lagan Love
and Gartan Mother's Lullaby
; his verse was also set to music by Arnold Bax
and Ivor Gurney
.
, into a Catholic
and Irish nationalist family from County Down
. He was educated at St Malachy's College, Belfast. After working for his father he taught for a while. He travelled to Dublin in 1902, meeting leading nationalist figures. His literary activities began with songs, as a collector in Antrim
and working with the composer Herbert Hughes
. He was then a founder of the Ulster Literary Theatre in 1904.
He moved to London in 1905, where he was involved in Irish literary activities while working as a teacher. He married in 1910 Nancy Maude, and they moved shortly to Dublin, and then County Wicklow
. He edited Uladh with Bulmer Hobson
. He took part as a supporter in the Easter Rising
of 1916; he became a Sinn Féin
Councillor in Wicklow in 1921. Later in the Irish Civil War
he was on the Republican side, and was interned in 1922/3. His marriage broke up, and he emigrated to the United States
in 1925.
There he lived in New York
. He lectured at Fordham University
, and worked in academic Irish studies, founding the University's School of Irish Studies in 1928, which lasted four years. He returned to Ireland in 1939, settling at Glencree
, County Wicklow.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
. He wrote under the Gaelicised version of his name Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil (also Seosamh MacCathmhaoil). He is now remembered best for words he supplied to traditional airs, such as My Lagan Love
My Lagan Love
"My Lagan Love" is a song to a traditional Irish air collected in 1903 in northern Donegal.The English lyrics have been credited to Joseph Campbell . Campbell was a Belfast man whose grand-parents came from the Irish-speaking area of Flurrybridge, South Armagh. He started collecting songs in County...
and Gartan Mother's Lullaby
Gartan Mother's Lullaby
"Gartan Mother's Lullaby" is an old Irish song and poem written by Herbert Hughes and Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil, first published in Songs of Uladh [Ulster] in 1904. Hughes collected the trad melody in Donegal the previous year and Campbell wrote the lyrics...
; his verse was also set to music by Arnold Bax
Arnold Bax
Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was an English composer and poet. His musical style blended elements of romanticism and impressionism, often with influences from Irish literature and landscape. His orchestral scores are noted for their complexity and colourful instrumentation...
and Ivor Gurney
Ivor Gurney
Ivor Bertie Gurney was an English composer and poet.-Life:Born at 3 Queen Street, Gloucester in 1890, the second of four children of David Gurney, a tailor, and his wife Florence, a seamstress, Gurney showed musical ability early...
.
Life
He was born in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, into a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Irish nationalist family from County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
. He was educated at St Malachy's College, Belfast. After working for his father he taught for a while. He travelled to Dublin in 1902, meeting leading nationalist figures. His literary activities began with songs, as a collector in Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
and working with the composer Herbert Hughes
Herbert Hughes (musicologist)
Herbert Hughes was an Irish composer, music critic and collector of folk songs.He was born and brought up in Belfast, Ireland, but completed his formal music education at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating in 1901...
. He was then a founder of the Ulster Literary Theatre in 1904.
He moved to London in 1905, where he was involved in Irish literary activities while working as a teacher. He married in 1910 Nancy Maude, and they moved shortly to Dublin, and then County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He edited Uladh with Bulmer Hobson
Bulmer Hobson
John Bulmer Hobson was a leading member of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood before the Easter Rising in 1916...
. He took part as a supporter in the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
of 1916; he became a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
Councillor in Wicklow in 1921. Later in the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
he was on the Republican side, and was interned in 1922/3. His marriage broke up, and he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1925.
There he lived in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He lectured at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, and worked in academic Irish studies, founding the University's School of Irish Studies in 1928, which lasted four years. He returned to Ireland in 1939, settling at Glencree
Glencree
Glencree is a valley in the Wicklow Mountains in eastern Ireland. It is the second closest valley in the mountains to Dublin city, the first being Glencullen. The river Dargle flows down the valley, which rises to a height of abut 400 metres...
, County Wicklow.
Works
- Songs of Uladh (1904) with Seagan Campbell
- The Little Cowherd of Slainge (1904) play
- The Garden of the Bees (1905) poems
- The Rush-Light (1906) poems
- The Man-Child (1907) poems
- The Gilly of Christ (1907) poems
- The Mountainy Singer (1909) poems
- Mearing Stones (1911) travel writing
- Judgment: A Play (1912)
- Irishry (1913) poems
- Earth of Cualann (1917) poems
- Collected Poems of Joseph Campbell (1963)
- As I was Among the Captives: Joseph Campbell's Prison Diary (2001) edited by Eiléan Ní Chuileanain
- I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing