April 10, 1867

George Russell, who went by AE, was born on this day in 1867 in Lurgan, Co. Armagh. An important and interesting figure in Ireland’s literary history, AE was a poet, journalist, painter and mystic. Raised in Dublin, he began an early friendship with W.B. Yeats. He worked for the Irish Agricultural Organization Society for many years and was the editor of their journal, the famous Irish Homestead, from 1905 – 1923. After this he focused primarily on his writing and art, through which he established a place in the Irish Literary Revival. He also helped to spearhead the theosophy movement in Dublin and features in the Scylla and Charybdis episode of Ulysses.