Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell (15 July 1879 – 6 June 1944) was an Irish poet and lyricist. He wrote under the Irish form of his name Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil (also Seosamh MacCathmhaoil), Campbell being a common anglicization of the old Irish name 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.

Life

He was born in Belfast, into a Catholic and Irish nationalist family from County Down.He was one of ten children and his Catholic-Presbyterian parents gave him an life-long interest in politics and Gaelic culture. He was educated at St Malachy's College, Belfast. After working for his father he taught for a while.In 1900 he joined the Gaelic League and became fluent in the Irish language.

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 contributed a play, The Little Cowherd of Slainge, and several articles to its journal Uladh edited by Bulmer Hobson. The Little Cowherd of Slainge was performed by the ULT at the Clarence Place Hall in Belfast on 4 May 1905, along with Lewis Purcell's The Enthusiast.

He moved to Dublin in 1905, failed to find work and the following year (1906) he moved to London 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. His play Judgement was performed at the Abbey Theatre in April 1912.