IT was a friendly and reflective evening when the Trinity College Oscar Wilde Society got together a group of admirers to celebrate the centenary of Wilde's release from jail. Paula Meehan picked three early poems to recite, Eilean Ni Chuilleanain read from the fairy tales and playwright Frank McGuinness raised hairs on backs of necks with A.E. Housman's A Poem For Oscar Wilde before popping off early.
Poetry Ireland's Theo Dorgan arrived just in time to read from De Profundis and afterwards chatted animatedly with Marco Souzogui from Trinity's Italian department. Marco sent out a proposal to Irish poets asking for their response to the work of renowned Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi, who was born 200 years ago next year.
He was astounded to receive over 80 responses, from Seamus Heaney through to Sinead Morrissey, a young poet currently living in Japan, and is already hard at work on the volume which promises to be the most comprehensive celebration of the poet outside of Italy.
Provost Tom Mitchell, who was chatting afterwards with British ambassador Veronica Sutherland and the Wilde Society chairman Prof Davis Coakley, heard Souzogui's plans and promised his support.