Docklands poet John celebrates Ulster’s centenary for NI Centennial

“It’s called Northern Ireland ” he explained.

John hopes that it might catch the eye of “those running the NI centennial programme.”

“As an afterthought,” he added, “it can also be sung to the tune of Okalama!”

Most of us are aware that this is NI Centennial year (www.ni100.org) aimed at welcoming the world to “our rich culture and heritage, great minds and innovators, food and drink, sports and entertainment, and of course our spectacular scenery.”

John’s poem is a stunning summary of this vast variety of local accolades, particularly our unique countryside, coastline and spectacular landscapes.

His poetic debut came at the age of 12, after the death of his father in 1948.

“We were all sitting around the coal-fire with mum who was trying to write dad’s obituary for the paper,” he told me.

Much to his mother’s surprise John recited a profound little rhyme:

“You never know the moment,

You never know the day.

You’ll never know how long

Upon this earth you’ll stay.”

“Mum looked at me, baffled,” he explained, “wondering where it came from and I said I’d just made it up. I don’t think she used it because she couldn’t afford the space in the paper!”

Ten books later (at least!) and after a busy life as a Belfast dockworker, trade union representative, van-driver and family-man, Campbell’s poems are loved here and around the world and are applauded by the great and the good from literary circles.

Before sharing his Northern Ireland poem here - actually, since his first book called ‘Saturday Night in York Street’ just about every word John has ever written is about Northern Ireland! - I’ll pass on a memory he recounted last week, in light of the forthcoming 80th anniversary of the Belfast Blitz in 1941.

John was just five years old, sitting with his mother their house, number 51 Earl Street, off York Street.

She had just taken an Easter egg out of a drawer to give to him when the air raid siren went off.

“Mum put the egg back in the cabinet before I’d a chance to open it,” John told me and they hurried off to the air raid shelter, around the corner from his granny’s.

Their lives were spared (though the Easter egg didn’t fare too well!) and John was left with tragic, vivid memories.

He remembers the roar of planes overhead.

He remembers a man in the shelter angrily waving a clenched fist upwards at the Luftwaffe bombers.

He remembers getting back to number 51 Earl Street, passing bodies lying lifeless in the street.

Along with other houses, the Campbell’s little home was completely wrecked.

He remembers a man standing beside a pile of rubble.

“Even to this day his face is imprinted on my mind,” John says.

“His shirt was unbuttoned, he’d no collar, a cigarette was hanging from his mouth and he’d a cap on his head. He threw something down, something wrapped in what seemed like rags, something that he’d been carrying. It turned out it was a body that he had taken out of a house in the street.”

Thank you John, for your wartime memories, and for your poem about Northern Ireland:

Northern Ireland is the Lagan flowing to the sea,

It’s the leaping trout, a glass of stout,

It’s the forests growing wild and free.

Northern Ireland is the Sperrins, peeping through a mist,

It’s a Portrush Strand with golden sand,

It’s the country lanes that wind and twist.

It’s Derry, with its city walls,

It’s the oul Lammas Fair with its stalls,

It’s Dundrum Bay; the waters of Lough Neagh

That call me when I stray from your shores Northern Ireland,

Northern Ireland, my home.

Northern Ireland is a cottage in the heart of Down.

It’s a Belfast smile on the Golden Mile,

It’s a horse fair in a Market town.

Northern Ireland is the bridge across the river Foyle,

It’s a village pub serving farmyard grub,

It’s Saint Patrick, buried in its soil.

It’s the mountains of Mourne and the Lakes.

The aroma of barbecued steaks.

It’s Old Bushmills, and smoke from poteen stills

That filters through your valleys and hills, Northern Ireland,

Northern Ireland, my home.

Northern Ireland is Fermanagh’s water wonderland,

It’s a surfboard ride, an Atlantic tide,

It’s the legend of the severed hand.

Northern Ireland is the breathtaking beauty of Tyrone,

It’s the Glenshane Pass, it’s Dungannon glass,

It’s White Island figures carved from stone.

It’s the Glens and the Marble Arch caves,

It’s the seabirds afloat on the waves.

It’s a lambeg drum, the Planetarium,

That make the people come to your shores Northern Ireland,

Northern Ireland, my home.

Northern Ireland is its Castles, picturesque and grand.

It’s the Strangford Lough, a scenic walk,

It’s a farmer ploughing on his land.

Northern Ireland is Downpatrick, homeland of a Saint,

It’s the Causeway Coast, the land I love the most.

It’s the Townlands, colourful and quaint.

It’s Navan, with its ancient fort,

It’s the Newcastle seaside resort,

It’s Cushendall, a pilgrimage to Saul......

No wonder teardrops fall when you call Northern Ireland,

Northern Ireland, my home.

For further information about the Year of Homecoming and the NI Centennial Year go to www.ni100.org or visit the Facebook page.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you