Aaron O'Dea is a 17 year-old poet from Kilkenny, and a member of the Rhyme Rag Ensemble. He participated in a masterclass with performance poet John Cummins in preparation for the We Are The Poets showcase at Kilkenny Arts Festival 2019, which took place at Kilkenny Castle in a collaboration between Laureate na nÓg and Kilkenny Arts Office. In April 2020, Aaron received one-to-one mentoring with poet Colm Keegan as part of WE ARE THE POETS ONLINE in response to social distancing protocols during the Covid-19 crisis.