Sir, – The article by Annie Mac (Annie MacManus), "I felt an ache, a homesickness for Ireland"(Opinion & Analysis, December 19th), was heartfelt and evocative, and it was good to read that her hearing of a recent recording by Hozier singing the ballad My Lagan Love caused such an upsurge of emotion in her. Proustian indeed!
Like many people, but surprisingly for a DJ, she assumes this two-verse song is traditional. It was actually written in 1904 by my paternal grandfather Joseph Campbell, with his words set to a traditional air. Born in Belfast in 1879, he died in Glencree, Co Wicklow, in 1944, after an eventful life. Copyright for the ballad expired in 2014. – Yours, etc,
RORY CAMPBELL,
Arklow,
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Co Wicklow.