Saoi
Highest honour for a member of Aosdána
title: "Saoi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["saoithe"] description: "Highest honour for a member of Aosdána" topic_path: "general/saoithe" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saoi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Highest honour for a member of Aosdána ::
Saoi (, plural Saoithe; literally "wise one"; historically the title of the head of a bardic school) is the highest honour bestowed by Aosdána, a state-supported association of Irish creative artists. The title is awarded, for life, to an existing Aosdána member. There are at most seven living Saoithe at any time; a limit increased from five in 2007–08. At the conferring ceremony, a torc (a twist/spiral of gold, worn around the neck) is presented to the Saoi, typically by the President of Ireland.
Nominating process
A committee of ten members of Aosdána referred to as the Toscaireacht monitor and manage the nominating process to confirm adherence to the established rules. Fifteen members of the Aosdána must nominate a candidate of merit and distinction. An election by secret ballot then occurs with all members. Approval is determined by at least 50% + 1 of the membership voting approval.
Only one nomination per vacancy may be processed through an election at a time. If multiple candidate submissions are received, they go through the election process one at a time until a successful approval is declared. Subsequent nominees are held until there is a future vacancy.
List
::data[format=table title="Saoithe of Aosdána{{cite web|url=http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie/Members.aspx?former=1|title=Former members|work=Aosdána|access-date=29 January 2015}} and {{cite web|url=http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie/Members.aspx|title=Current members|work=Aosdána|access-date=29 January 2015|archive-date=22 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122074038/http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie/Members.aspx|url-status=dead}}"]
| Name | Field | Elected | Invested | Died | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Literature | (in absentia) | 1989 | |||
| Literature | 1991 | ||||
| Visual arts | 1994 | {{cite book | |||
| Literature | 1996 | author=Arts Council of Ireland | |||
| Visual arts | 2012 | ||||
| Visual arts | 2003 | url=http://imma.ie/accessibility/page_19379.htm | |||
| Literature | 2007 | author=Arts Council of Ireland | |||
| Literature | 2000 | url=http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie/Members/Literature/Stuart.aspx | |||
| Literature | 2013 | {{cite book | |||
| Literature | 2016 | {{cite web | |||
| Literature | 2015 | ||||
| Visual arts | 2014 | ||||
| Visual arts | 2023 | url=http://www.artscouncil.ie/News/Aosdana-elects-10-new-members-and-announces-Camille-Souter-as-Saoi_/ | |||
| Music | 2023 | ||||
| Literature | |||||
| Literature | 2024 | ||||
| Visual arts | last=Duncan | ||||
| Visual arts | 2025 | ||||
| Literature | 2018 | ||||
| Music | living | ||||
| Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin | Literature | 2022 | Living | ||
| Paul Muldoon | Literature | 2025 | Living | ||
| :: |
Notes
References
References
- "Saoi Award and Nomination Process".
- (11 July 2007). "President of Ireland Mary McAleese honours the artist Patrick Scott at a special Aosdána ceremony". Arts Council of Ireland.
- "Toscaireacht Committee and Current Membership".
- "Former members". Aosdána.
- Arts Council of Ireland. "Annual Report 1984".
- (1991). "The Salmon Guide to Creative Writing in Ireland". Salmon Pub..
- Arts Council of Ireland. (1988). "Annual Report 1986".
- "Lot 163: "Mountain Lake"". Adam's auctioneers.
- Briggs, Sarah. (1996). "Mary Lavin: Questions of identity". Irish Studies Review.
- "Louis le Brocquy". Aosdána.
- (2002). "Holding on to the Outside, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co Kildare". Irish Museum of Modern Art.
- "Benedict Kiely". Aosdána.
- "Francis Stuart". Aosdána.
- Lynch, Brian. (30 August 2013). "Heaney's gift of seeing beauty in everything". [[Irish Independent]].
- "University Awards - Honorary Degrees - 05/06". UCD.
- Hogan, Louise. (23 February 2006). "Saoi here, Friel has the rite stuff to merit our highest arts honour". [[Irish Independent]].
- (28 March 2007). "Aosdána elects 15 new members including, for the first time, choreographers; Aosdána Announces Patrick Scott as Saoi". Arts Council of Ireland.
- (11 July 2007). "Patrick Scott honoured at Aosdána ceremony". RTÉ.
- (9 May 2008). "Aosdána elects 10 new members and announces Camille Souter as Saoi.". Arts Council of Ireland.
- (22 September 2008). "Seóirse Bodley Elected Saoi of Aosdána". Contemporary Music Centre.
- (24 November 2008). "President of Ireland Mary McAleese honours artists Camille Souter and Seóirse Bodley". Arts Council of Ireland.
- (29 September 2014). "William Trevor elected to position of Saoi by Aosdána to honour outstanding achievements". [[RTÉ.ie]].
- "William Trevor". Aosdána.
- Duncan, Pamela. (16 September 2015). "Imogen Stuart, Edna O'Brien and William Trevor elected Saoithe". Irish Times.
- JM. (Spring 2017). "Seventeen vie for Aosdána membership". Irish Arts Review.
- (10 March 2017). "Film-maker George Morrison bestowed title of Saoi of Aosdána". [[The Irish Times]].
- "George Morrison". Aosdana.
- (4 Sep 2017). "President Higgins honours playwright Tom Murphy". RTE.
- (16 Aug 2019). "Composer Roger Doyle elevated to Saoi by Aosdána". Irish Times.
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