John O'Donohue is an Irish poet and philosopher who lives in the solitude of a cottage in the West of Ireland and speaks Gaelic as his native language.

He has degrees in philosophy, English literature and was awarded a Ph.D in philosophical theology from the University of Tubingen in 1990. His dissertation developed a new concept of Person through a re-interpretation of the philosophy of Hegel. The prestigious Review of Metaphysics commended him for "breaking new ground in our thinking about consciousness…(with) a richer and deeper notion of Personhood." O'Donohue says: "Hegel struck me as someone who put his eye to the earth at a most unusual angle and managed to glimpse the circle toward which all things aspire."

Through the glow of image and narrative and a deft underpinning of thought, John's writing draws the reader into intimate conversation with neglected or unknown regions of the soul. Readers say his work puts words on things they have felt for years but never found expressed. As a speaker John evokes an atmosphere of Attention where heart and head gradually open to new horizons and where often the inspired self gains courage to break free from inner prisons. His work seeks to be a threshold where the hunger of our contemporary questions might awaken treasure-wells in our tradition.

As a speaker John's poetic gift is being increasingly recognized by the Corporate World of Work where he speaks to themes such as: Leadership: The Awakening of Creativity; Without Vision, The Work-Place Works Against Itself; The Gift of Encouragement in Times of Anxiety; The Art of Change: Finding the Courage for New Horizons; Coaching: The Art of Awakening Real Presence; The Intense Threshold: Holding Personal Integrity Within the System.

John is currently completing a post-doctoral dissertation on the 13th Century mystic and philosopher Meister Eckhart.