Bram Stoker was born in 1847 in Dublin, he attended Trinity College from which he graduated with honours in mathematics. In 1876 while employed as a civil servant, Stoker wrote a non-fiction book and became the theatre critic for the Dublin Evening Mail newspaper. In 1878 he married Florence Balcombe and the couple moved to London where Stoker became business manager of Henry Irving’s Lyceum Theatre. His position allowed him entry into London high society and he also travelled the world with Irving’s shows. Stoker supplemented his income by writing a number of novels, by far his most famous being the tale of Dracula which was published in 1897. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel contributed greatly to the popularity of them and is attributed as the single greatest influence behind many theatrical and film interpretations. Before writing Dracula, Stoker spent seven years researching European folklore and vampirism. The name Dracula is derived from the word draco in the Megleno-Romanian language meaning devil. Some aspects of his character appear to have been inspired by the fifteenth century Romanian prince Vlad the Impaler. When it was first published Dracula was not an immediate bestseller although it was acclaimed by the critics. Bram Stoker died in 1912, he was cremated and his ashes placed in a display urn at Golders Green Crematorium.

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source: http://www.exploringireland.net

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