He was born at Cloonyquin House, near Elphin, County Roscommon, the son of a Protestant landlord. While studying at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1877, he wrote his first successful song, "Abdul Abulbul Amir". He graduated as a civil engineer in 1881 and became Inspector of Drains for the County Cavan Board of Works, painting watercolours and writing songs in his spare time. After he lost this job in 1887 he became the editor of a weekly comic paper, The Jarvey, to which he contributed satirical cartoons, stories, articles and poems. He also formed the Jarvey Concert Company, performing comic operas.