Bealtaine, the Irish national festival celebrating creativity in older age, is co-ordinated by Age & Opportunity and includes events organised by hundreds of partner organisations.
 “Fun, lightness and creativity" - share in the fun of the Bealtaine launch at Heuston Station, Dublin.
Bealtaine Launch 2010
Bealtaine is coordinated by Age & Opportunity, the Irish national organisation working to promote greater participation by older people in society. Check out the Age & Opportunity web site.
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News
 Following an extraordinary debut event on the Culdaff beach in Donegal in May 2009, Dawn Chorus is returning to waterfronts all across Ireland this Sunday 30 May. Over the past few months The Association of Irish Choirs and Active Retirement Ireland have encouraged choirs throughout the country to open their doors to retirement groups, to develop a short concert together and to sing on a scenic waterfront across the country to mark the end of the Bealtaine Festival 2010.
Last night saw a unique and very enjoyable concert take place at the National Concert Hall. Over 1000 people were in attendence as the 'Blow the Dust...' orchestra took to the stage to play such pieces as 'I dreamed a dream' and 'Hey Jude'.
 After sell-out performances in Wales Re-Live are travelling to the Bealtaine festival to tell their stories. On Sunday night, 30 May, you can witness this honest, hilarious and unique show, where memory meets theatre and the past becomes present once again.
 Dusty Flowers Theatre Group presents 'Two Left Feet and Dancing Queens': a reminiscence theatre show.
A performance written and devised from real stories of older people interviewed in Dublin. Memories of the war, dances, songs, lives started and ended, are shaped by remembrance and celebrate a world that is no more, but remains in the memory of its witnesses.
Members (and friends) of Machushla Dance Club and Age on Stage have joined to write letters to each other over a 6 month period, taking the opportunity to recollect and reflect on any dance related memories or stories, past and present and future, which will form the material for a new shared dance piece.
This year's access>CINEMA / IFI Bealtaine film tour (supported by Seven Seas) is Dean Spanley, starring Peter O'Toole and Sam Neill.
This is a charming and eccentric comedy, based on a little-known 1936 novella by the Irish author, Lord Dunsany. Dean Spanley stars Jeremy Northam as Fisk, an Edwardian publisher who is exasperated by his cantankerous father, played by Peter O’Toole, who refuses to grieve his dead son.
All over Ireland, people are busy planning events and activities for the 2010 Bealtaine festival. The Bealtaine team are currently looking for enthusiastic participants for the following projects:
Seeded in Bealtaine, Silver Stars, the song cycle based on the lives of older Irish gay men, is appearing off Broadway in January 2010.
Nurtured and supported by Bealtaine in 2008, Seán Millar and Brokentalkers theatrical collaboration went on to become the sell-out hit of the 2009 Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival. Now, it is on its way to New York’s Under The Radar Festival opening 8th January 2010 at the legendary Public Theater.
Blow the Dust off your Trumpet was featured on Morning Ireland. Sinéad Crowley, Arts & Media Correspondent, spoke to some of the participants in the National Concert Hall.
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Evaluating Bealtaine
Each year, we ask organisers to fill out an evaluation form once events are finished. If you have organised an event, you can fill out the form from here.
Go to evaluation form
Dawn Chorus
 Dawn Chorus returned to waterfronts all across Ireland on Sunday 30 May. See how they went.
See and hear the Dawn Chorus.
Ink exhibition
Aidan Kelly's exhibition exploring older people's tattoos, Ink, is now on in the Original Print Gallery, Temple Bar until 30 May. Part of the exhibition is online.
See the online part of Ink
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