Saoi
Template:Short description Saoi (Template:IPA, 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;<ref name=saoi>Template:Cite web</ref> a limit increased from five in 2007–08.<ref name="pr20080509" /><ref name="pr20070711">Template:Cite web</ref> 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<ref name=Toscaireacht>Template:Cite web</ref> 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
| Name | Field<ref group="nb">The fields of choreography and architecture have not produced any Saoithe.<ref name="aosdanamembers"/></ref> | Elected | Invested | Died | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts (in absentia) | 1989 | <ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="LendennieHickson1991">Template:Cite book</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 1991 | <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 1994 | <ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 1996 | <ref name="report1993">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Briggs1996">Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2012 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="report1993"/> |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2003 | <ref name="report1993"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2007 | <ref name="report1996">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2000 | <ref name="report1996"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2013 | <ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2016 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2015 | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | 2014 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="pr20070711"/><ref>Template:Cite news </ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts 2023 | <ref name="pr20080509">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="pr20081128"/> |
| Template:Sortname | Music | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts 2023 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="pr20081128">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts 2024 | |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | <ref name="imogen">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Visual arts<ref group="nb">Morrison is a filmmaker; there being no specific category for "film", he is classed by Aosdána under "visual arts".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="aosdanaMorrison"/> </ref> | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts 2025 | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="aosdanaMorrison">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Literature | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts 2018 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Template:Sortname | Music | Template:Dts | Template:Dts | Template:Dts living | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin | Literature | 2022 | Living | ||
| Paul Muldoon | Literature | 2025 | Living |