The Salons
Gather & connect through the power of
poetry, place and story.
About the Salons
In the 1860s, at number 1 Merrion Square, Lady Jane ‘Speranza’ Wilde, poet, folklorist, nationalist and Oscar Wilde’s mother, was host to one of the most fiery and dynamic salons in Ireland. Gathering intellectuals, artists, writers, academics and politicians, her home became a weekly hotspot of pioneering discussion, dialogue and at times, intrigue.
Inspired by Lady Wilde’s legacy, I’ve been hosting regular salons for over 15 years in Ireland and beyond. Choosing poetry and dialogue as the connecting forces, the salons are a place to gather people from diverse backgrounds, professions and persuasions and introduce people to each other in meaningful ways. The salons have a knack of forging lasting friendships and connections across the globe, sparking ideas and insights along they way.
The Poetry Salon
What can poetry offer in these times of great turbulence and change? And what might it mean to live with a poetic quality as we learn to navigate the great questions and challenges of this age?
The poetry salon gathers and connects people around the spirit in which poetry travels, as both balm and bridge to new ways of seeing, listening and being.
Over the course on an hour, we read, listen, commune and converse with poems, probing into the meanings, mysteries and magic they may inspire or provoke.
You are welcome to read a poem which has interest to you. Perhaps it was one you turned to for solace in a time of grief, or maybe it is one which fosters gratitude, hope, or a deeper sense of connection to the natural world. If you’d rather come along and simply listen, that is most welcome too. And if you’d like to share your own poetry, it’s recommended that you attend one or two salons first, so you get a sense of the flow, tone and structure in which the poems are held.
Poetry Salons happen bi-monthly, on the second Sunday of the month, 6-7pm Irish time.
Tickets are included in The Wild Edge monthly and annual membership.
After each salon you will receive a link to a pdf with the poems from that salon.
Upcoming Poetry Salons
Coming in 2025
Bi - Monthly, every Second Sunday of the Month.
6:00-7:00PM Irish/UK Time, online
Come gather, read, listen and savour the insights from poetry.
How to register
There are two ways to join.
Become a member of The Wild Edge (my substack membership community)
or book a ticket via the Lu.ma ticketing page
Seasonal Salons
Evenings of poetry, journaling and seasonal ritual.
Samhain. Winter Solstice. Imbolc. Bealtaine. Summer Solstice.
To mark the Celtic seasons and celebrate the turning of the year, Season Salons are intimate gatherings of poetry, journaling and seasonal ritual.
Each salon explores a seasonal theme, weaving in curated poems, reflective journaling prompts, soulful conversation and collective sharing of insights. The salon closes out with a special ritual to mark the turning of the year.
“Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action”.
Audre Lourde
Want the salon to come to you?
Interested in having a salon take place in your organisation or at your event?
Designed to connect audiences and participants to meaningful conversations, dialogues and artful presence, The Salon is a flexible format which can adapt to the size and needs of your requirements.
Get in touch to arrange a preliminary consultation.
“Friday evening Poetry Salon marks a beautiful transition from the week’s work…time for me, to spend in welcoming and creative company, led by the amazing Clare”
– Tim Santini, salon participant.
Letters from Clare