Joseph Cooper Walker (c.1762–1810) was an Irish antiquarian and writer.

Life

Walker was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...

and educated under Thomas Ball. An invalid with acute

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

, in his earlier years he travelled a great deal for his health, and for many years lived in Italy. Walker's main work is ''Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards'' (1786), an important source for, among others, the life of the Irish harper

Turlough Carolan Turlough O'Carolan ( ga, Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin ; 167025 March 1738) was a blind Celtic harper, composer and singer in Ireland whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition. Although not a composer in the classical sense, ...

. Lesa Ní Mhunghaile is of the view that the translations of Irish poems in this publication were influenced by

Ossian Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: ''Oisean'') is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as ''Fingal'' (1761) and ''Temora'' (1763), and later combined under ...

, but also were considered by the author to improve on the originals. Walker's ''Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern Irish'' (1788) was also concerned with the recovery of the Irish past. Walker was aware of the tension between

national revival National revival or national awakening is a period of ethnic self-consciousness that often precedes a political movement for national liberation but that can take place at a time when independence is politically unrealistic. In the history of Eur ...

and the bardic note of loss. Walker was one of the original members of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural i ...

and contributed papers to its ''Transactions''. Besides his more important writings (see below) he also wrote "Anecdotes on Chess in Ireland", a paper contributed to

Charles Vallancey General Charles Vallancey FRS (6 April 1731 – 8 August 1812) was a British military surveyor sent to Ireland. He remained there and became an authority on Irish antiquities. Some of his theories would be rejected today, but his drawings, fo ...

's ''Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis''. He also left works in manuscript, including a journal of his travels and materials for ''Lives of the Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers of Ireland''. Francis Hardy, biographer of the Earl of Charlemont, undertook a biography of Walker, finished in 1812, but then suppressed by the family. On Hardy's death the materials were handed to Edward Berwick, who does not seem to have completed the work. Many of Walker's letters are printed in John Nichols's ''Literary Illustrations''. After his time in Italy, Walker settled down in a house called St. Valerie,

Bray, County Wicklow Bray ( ) is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 32,600 making it the ninth largest urban area within Ireland (at the 2016 census). Bray is ...

, with art treasures and an extensive library. Here he passed the rest of his life. He died on 12 April 1810 in

Enniskerry Enniskerry (historically ''Annaskerry'', from ) is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. The population was 1,889 at the 2016 census. Location The village is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in the e ...

, County Wicklow, and was buried on 14 April in St Mary's Churchyard, Dublin.

Works

*''Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards'' (London: T. Payne & Son, and Dublin: Luke White, 1786); new edition, Dublin: J. Christie, 1818. *''Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern Irish, to which is subjoined a Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish'' (Dublin, 1788); new edition, London, 1818. *''Historical Memoir on Italian Tragedy'' (London: E. Harding, 1799) *''Historical and Critical Essay on the Revival of the Drama in Italy'' (Edinburgh, 1805) Walker's ''Memoirs'' of

Alessandro Tassoni Alessandro Tassoni (28 September 156525 April 1635) was an Italian poet and writer, from Modena, best known as the author of the mock-heroic poem ''La secchia rapita'' (''The Rape of the Pail'', or ''The stolen bucket''). Life He was born in M ...

were published posthumously in 1815, with a preface by his brother, Samuel Walker. It contains poems to Walker's memory by Eyles Irwin, Henry Boyd,

William Hayley William Hayley (9 November 174512 November 1820) was an English writer, best known as the biographer of his friend William Cowper. Biography Born at Chichester, he was sent to Eton in 1757, and to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1762; his connec ...

, and Robert Anderson.

References

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Joseph Cooper 1762 births 1810 deaths Irish antiquarians Irish writers