Thomas Joseph Campbell

Who was Thomas Joseph Campbell?

Thomas Joseph Campbell, known as "T. J." Campbell, was an Irish politician, barrister, journalist, author and Judge.

Campbell was born in Belfast on 14 December 1871. He studied at St Malachy's College and the Royal University of Ireland. He was awarded a BA in 1892, his LL.B in 1894 and an MA in 1897. In 1895, he began editing the Irish News, a local Belfast based newspaper. In 1899, he was the Chairman of the Ulster District Institute of Journalists.

In 1900 Campbell was called to the Irish Bar and the English Bar in 1904. In 1918 he was appointed as a King's Counsel.He became a Bencher of King’s Inn in 1924. Campbell was the first Treasurer of the Bar of Northern Ireland and first Secretary of the Circuit of Northern Ireland.

A close friend of Joseph Devlin MP, Campbell was a supporter of John Redmond MP and stood for the Irish Parliamentary Party in South Monaghan at the 1918 UK general election. He lost the election to Sinn Féin's Sean McEntee.

" A man of markedly moderate views" **, in 1929 Campbell was appointed to the Senate of Northern Ireland. At the 1931 UK general election, he stood unsuccessfully for the Nationalist Party in Belfast West.