A wise and gentle spirit – Trinity pays tribute to Gerald Dawe

Posted on: 30 May 2024

It is with deep sadness that the College community has learned of the death of distinguished poet, writer and colleague Professor Gerald Dawe.

Gerald was born in Belfast in 1952 and educated at the University of Ulster and University College Galway. He joined Trinity's School of English in 1988 and was elected to Fellowship in 2004. He was founding director of the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre in the School of English from 1998-2015. He retired in 2017.

Gerald was a highly regarded artist and scholar. He published 13 collections of poetry, most recently Another Time (Poems 1978-2023). He was the 28th recipient of the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Prize for Poetry, awarded in 2024.

Eoin McNamee, Associate Professor, Director of the Oscar Wilde Centre for Creative Writing, said:

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of poet Gerry Dawe who, along with Brendan Kennelly, founded the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre. Gerry's legacy is profound and long lasting, and his wise and gentle spirit will be sorely missed."

Prof Jarlath Killeen, Head of the School of English said:

"Gerry Dawe was an outstanding teacher and colleague who gave so much of himself to Trinity and especially to the School of English. With enormous energy and enthusiasm he not only helped to establish the M.Phil. in Creative Writing as the first of its kind in Ireland, but shouldered much of the administration of the programme for years.

"Gerry was a great presence in the School, a man of integrity, full of humour, generous to his students and his colleagues, and held in great affection by everyone. His death is an immense loss to the College and to Irish culture."

Read more about Gerald Dawe as a writer on our Trinity writers webpage. 

• Tags:
• Arts
• Culture
• Research