author
Joseph Campbell
1879–1944
An Irish poet and lyricist with a gift for turning folklore and feeling into song, he is still remembered for words linked to beloved traditional airs such as "My Lagan Love." Writing in both English and Irish, he helped carry the spirit of the Irish literary revival into poetry, drama, and song.
2 Audiobooks
Mearing Stones: Leaves from My Note-Book on Tramp in Donegal
by Joseph Campbell
The Mountainy Singer
by Joseph Campbell
About the author
Born in Belfast in 1879, Joseph Campbell wrote under the Irish form of his name, Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil. He grew up in a Catholic nationalist family, developed an early interest in Irish music and folklore, and became part of the cultural energy of the Irish literary revival.
He was a founder of the Ulster Literary Theatre and published poetry collections including Songs of Uladh, The Garden of Bees, The Mountainy Singer, and Earth of Cualann. He is especially remembered for lyrics associated with traditional songs such as My Lagan Love and Gartan Mother's Lullaby, and some of his verse was also set to music by composers including Arnold Bax and Ivor Gurney.
Campbell's life reached beyond literature alone. Sources describe him as involved in Irish nationalist politics, note his rescue work during the Easter Rising, and record that he later lived for a time in New York before returning to Ireland. He died in 1944, leaving behind work admired for its musicality, warmth, and deep connection to Irish tradition.