John Duncan Craig (23 September 1830 – 1909) was an Irish poet, writer and Church of Ireland clergyman who was also an authority on the language and literature of Provence.
He was born in Dublin, son of John Craig of Dulsholm, Scotland, and Horsehead, County Cork, and Agnes Maria Taylor, of Edendale, Dublin, County Dublin. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin where he graduated B.A. in 1851, M.A in 1857 and B.D. and D.D. in 1869. He was ordained Deacon in Dublin in 1853 and became a chaplain in the Irish prison system. In the 1850s and 1860s he held a number of posts as curate in St. John's, Dublin, Carrigaline, Killanully, Passage West, Youghal and afterwards became the last Vicar of Kinsale (1865-1872).[1]
While still young he had to travel to the south of France for health reasons and while there became well acquainted with the language and literature of the region. He enlisted as a chaplain in the Prussian army during the Franco-Prussian War where he was shot and seriously wounded; he later wrote of his experiences.[2]
From 1873 to 1884 he was chaplain to the Molyneux Asylum, and from then until his retirement in 1901 he was incumbent of Holy Trinity Church, Lower Gardiner Street in Dublin.[1]
He had to return to the south for the good of his health and died in San Remo, Italy.
He married, in 1860, Dorothea Bird of Kinsale, and had a son and a daughter. He later married Adelaide Allen.[3]