Thomas Moore was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1779.

He studied law in London in 1799 before he explored his passion and talent for writing. He became a poet, lyricist, translator, and singer/songwriter. He is most well-known for his collection, “Irish Melodies,” which contained some of his best-known songs including “The Minstrel Boy,” “The Last Rose of Summer,” and “Oh, Ye Dead.” The “Irish Melodies” songs were written between 1808 and 1834. They were published in 10 volumes during this period, and his songs were quite popular when they were published.

In 1806, Moore challenged an editor, Lord Francis Jeffrey, to a duel after Jeffrey publicly criticized Moore’s writing. The duel was interrupted by police and was never resolved; this lead to Moore being mocked for the rest of his life about failure of the duel.

Shortly after this, he married Elizabeth Dyke, an actress in 1811. He hid this from his parents, as Dyke did not have a dowry and was a Protestant.

Moore settled in the Bromham, Wiltshire, England. He strongly supported the Catholic Emancipation and was very involved in politics. He had 5 children, but they all died before Moore passed away. He died in 1852, survived only by his wife.

Moore is considered the Irish Bard by many, and is frequently compared to Robbie Burns, who is seen as his equivalent in Scotland. His melodies and poems are referenced in many works by James Joyce.