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.

Opening doors

“My generation of 60-year-olds and upwards... we're making our presence felt!"

Contemporary Dancer, Joanna Banks

Register with us

Age & Opportunity

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.

Photo credits

	‘Swans’ from the ‘New Ground’ project with John Fox and Sue Gill, Mayo County Council’s Arts Offi ce, Mayo Artsquad, local artists and others (photo: Dominic Campbell)
	Ciarán Hinds and Frances McDormand in ‘Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day’. Image courtesy of Momentum Pictures (© 2007 Focus Features LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
	Detail from ‘Himself, Himself and the Others’ by Michael Fortune (photo: Michael Fortune)
	Con McGinley at ‘The Glen Road’ session in Donegal (photo: Simon Houston)
	Dervla Murphy talks to a Bealtaine audience in Hollyhill Library, Cork (photo: Ken Lynch)
	Jazzman Paddy Cole in full swing (photo: Orla O’Brien)
	Detail from artwork at St. Mary’s Hospital, Phoenix Park, made as part of Age & Opportunity’s ‘Creative Exchanges’ programme (photo: Derek Speirs)
	Intergenerational fun at a Magic Me event. Image courtesy of Magic Me
	Project Brand New Generation
	Devised by Buí Bolg in association with local Active Retirement Groups, Duncannon Beach was the venue for the launch of Bealtaine 2007 (photo: Dylan Vaughan Photography)
	Dancers, both experienced and first-timers, get into position during a Liz Lerman Dance Exchange workshop in Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise (photo: Alf Harvey)
	The Glen Road music sessions in Donegal (photo: Simon Houston)
	Detail from artwork created by the Magic Me Intergenerational Arts Group in the Ballymote Family Resource Centre (photo: James Connolly Photography)
	The Glen Road music sessions in Donegal (photo: Simon Houston)
	Working on a scene at the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange workshop in Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise (photo: Alf Harvey)
	Discussing and explaining at the Magic Me Intergenerational Arts Group in the Ballymote Family Resource Centre (photo: James Connolly Photography)
	A scene from Seán Millar's ‘Silver Stars’, a song cycle exploring the stories of older Irish gay men, staged at the Project (photo: Colm Hogan)
	A talk in the sculpture gallery in the Crawford Gallery, Cork (photo: Julie Forrester)
	Jessica McDonnell who is in 1st year in Castlenock Community College pictued with her grandmother Florence McDonnell at the launch of National Grandparents day in School.(photo: Aidan Crawley)

Bealtaine 09 cover

Invitation to participate in Bealtaine 2010

What's new?

Bealtaine 2010 is coming

The closing date has passed for getting your events into our printed Programme for 2010 but you can still send in your registration forms for Bealtaine 2010 and we will put your event up on our website.

Read our invitation to participate

Bealtaine Evaluated

An independent evaluation of Bealtaine has been carried out by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, National University of Ireland, Galway and was published during Bealtaine 2009. The report demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of engaging older people with creativity and the arts and shows how Bealtaine has contributed in a unique way to broadening the cultural landscape.

Read the evaluation of Bealtaine