John Francis Waller

John Francis Waller (21 July 1809 – 19 January 1894) was an Irish poet, librettist and editor.

Life The son of Thomas Maunsell Waller, of an Irish baronetical family, and Margaret Vereker, He held the position of vice-president of the Royal Irish Academy from 1864 and was appointed Registrar of the Rolls Court in 1867. His older brother was Edward Waller (zoologist) 1804–1873.

Works Besides editing the Dublin University Magazine, he also edited the Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography and contributed articles to Cassell's Biographical Dictionary.

Waller published several volumes of poems and also wrote the words to many popular songs, including Cushla Ma Chree, The Spinning Wheel and Song of the Glass. Many of his odes and poems were set to music by Irish composers, including Joseph Robinson, James Cooksey Culwick, Robert Prescott Stewart, Michael William Balfe, and George Alexander Osborne, Stewart being particularly fond of his works. He also wrote words for compositions by George Alexander Macfarren, Charles Oberthür, and Franz Wilhelm Abt. motto = Honor Et Veritas