One page of a letter bearing Graves' signature.

Alfred Perceval Graves (July 22, 1846 - December 27, 1931), was an Irish writer. The poet and scholar Robert Graves was his son.

Life and work

He was born in Dublin, the son of the bishop of Limerick. He was educated at Windermere College, and Dublin University.

In 1869 he entered the Civil Service as clerk in the Home Office, where he remained until he became an inspector of schools in 1874 . He was a contributor of prose and verse to the Spectator, The Athenaeum, John Bull, and Punch magazine.

He took a leading part in the revival of Irish letters. He was for several years president of the Irish Literary Society, and was the author of the famous ballad of Father O'Flynn and many other songs and ballads. In collaboration with Charles Stanford he published Songs of Old Ireland (1882), Irish Songs and Ballads (1893), the airs of which are taken from the Petrie MSS.; the airs of his Irish Folk-Songs (1897) were arranged by Charles Wood, with whom he also collaborated on Songs of Erin (1901).

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.