Saoi

Saoi (Irish pronunciation: [sˠiː], 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;[1] a limit increased from five in 2007–08.[2][3] 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.

  1. ^ "Saoi Award and Nomination Process". Retrieved 2008-05-13.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference pr20080509 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "President of Ireland Mary McAleese honours the artist Patrick Scott at a special Aosdána ceremony". Arts Council of Ireland. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2015. Members of Aosdána may receive this honour of distinction in the arts, known as Saoi, and not more than five artists may hold this honour at any one time.