Aubrey Thomas De Vere was born on January 10, 1814 at the family estate, Currage Chase, in County Limerick, Ireland. He was the third son of poet and dramatist Sir Aubrey De Vere (1788-1846). De Vere was educated at Trinity College where he focused his studies on metaphysics. He had friendships with many prominent men of the day, including: Thomas Carlye, John Henry Newman, Sir Henry Taylor, Alfred Lord Tennyson and William Wordsworth. After much thought, De Vere left the Church of England and was received into Roman Catholicism by John Henry Newman. De Vere was considered to be a deeply pious man and he never married.

De Vere was greatly disturbed by Ireland's troubles, especially the economic difficulties arising from the Famine. He aided his oldest brother Sir Stephen De Vere (1812-1904) in relief activities and they visited many of the most troubled areas. Based on these experiences, De Vere published (1848). The work charged England with poor governance and encouraged emigration as a solution to Ireland's trouble.

De Vere devoted most of his time to writing and produced many published works. These included volumes of poetry, poetic dramas, literary essays, travel writing, and memoirs. De Vere is best known for his poetry, most of which had religious themes. Many critics consider Inisfail (1861) to be his most successful poem. In this work, he records Irish history from the Norman Conquest to the repeal of the Penal Laws. The Foray of Queen Maeve (1882) was De Vere's retelling of Brian O'Lonney's translation of Táin Bó Cuailnge and offers the poet's own interpretation of the ancient Irish heroes.

He died on January 21, 1902 at Curragh Chase, County Limerick, Ireland.

Sources:

"Aubrey De Vere" in The Dictionary of Irish Literature edited by Robert Hogan (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996): 348-350.

"Aubrey De Vere" in The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature edited by Robert Welch (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996): 144.