McCall was born at 25 Patrick Street,
Dublin, the son of John McCall P.L.G. (1822–1902), a publican, grocer, historian, almanac editor, and folklorist from
Clonmore near
Hacketstown in
County Carlow and Elizabeth Newport (1832–1890) from Wexford. He attended
Synge Street CBS and St. Joseph's Monastery,
Harold's Cross, a
Catholic University School. He was the brother of two boys, each named Michael Joseph McCall, and each of whom died in infancy and are buried with their parents in Prospect Cemetery, Glasnevin, Dublin. He spent his summer holidays in
Rathangan,
County Wexford where he spent time with local musicians and ballad singers – his mother came from
Rathangan near
Duncormick on the south coast of
County Wexford. His aunt Ellen Newport provided much of the raw material for the songs and tunes meticulously recorded by her nephew. He also collected many old Irish airs, but is probably best remembered for his patriotic ballads. Airs gathered at rural céilí and sing-songs were delivered back to the
Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. He contributed to the
Dublin Historical Record, the
Irish Monthly,
The Shamrock and ''
Old Moore's Almanac'' (under the pseudonym Cavellus). He was a member of the group in Dublin which founded the
National Literary Society and became its first honorary secretary. In the
1902 Dublin Corporation election he was elected as a Dublin city councillor (defeating
James Connolly) and served three terms. As a councillor he concerned himself with local affairs, particularly projects to alleviate poverty. He married Margaret Furlong, a sister of the poet
Alice Furlong, in 1901. They lived in a house named Westpoint on the seafront in the suburb of Sutton, near
Howth. His first cousin Ellie Coffey (née McCall) was the mother of (among 10 others) famed paediatrician Dr. Victoria Coffey. ==Writings==