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.

Facebook link
 

The Arts Council

A dream launch

dancing in Heuston Station“Fun, lightness and creativity" - share in the fun of the Bealtaine launch at Heuston Station, Dublin.

Bealtaine Launch 2010

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.

Kilkenny

Arts / Culture / Heritage

Butler Gallery

Drawing workshop; National Drawing Day.

Kilkenny Castle.

TEL Jean Tormey
056 776 1106

 

Crafts Council of Ireland

Crafternoon Tea - join us for a guided tour of the galleries, participate in a craft workshop, try your hand at the pottery wheel and sample some refreshing teas at the National Craft Gallery on Thursday, May 13th from 2pm to 4pm; Weave of Wonder - practice your drawing and still-life skills at the National Craft Gallery in our family weave drawing workshop on Saturday, May 22nd at 11am; A Stitch in Time - explore drawing with different media in our stitch drawing workshop on Saturday, May 22nd at 1pm in The Castle Yard; enjoy a guided tour of the Microcosmos exhibition with artist Frances Lambe on Saturday, May 29th at 11am. Booking recommended for above events; See the Irish Craft Portfolio currently on exhibition at the National Craft Gallery - this exhibition features the work of master basketmaker Joe Hogan, ceramicist Marcus O’Mahoney, textile artist Terry Dunne and silversmith Inga Reed. The exhibition continues until May 22nd. All welcome.

Castle Yard, Kilkenny.

TEL Leslie Ryan, Education and Outreach Officer
056 779 6132.

 

Public Libraries

Kilkenny County Library Service

Varied programme includes:

Casltecomer Library
Hand-made cards with Lily at 11am on 4th
What's Looking Good at the end of May - Gardening at 11am on 25th

Loughboy Library
Hand-made cards with Lily at 11am on 14th
Spring basket flower arranging at 11am on 21st
Creative writing workshop at 11am on 28th
KARA art exhibition from 17th to 21st

City Library - John's Quay
Spring basket flower arranging at 11am on 27th

Graiguenamanagh Library
Spring basket flower arranging at 11am on 5th
Things on the Wall - an introduction to the Butler Gallery at 10am on 12th
Hand-made cards with Lily at 11am on 26th

Kilkenny County Library will also be running other workshops during May on areas like composting and mobile phone use. Find out about all of their May workshops on their website.

Library HQ, John’s Green Hse., John’s Green.

TEL Brenda Ward
056 779 4977 or
056 779 4160

Care Centres

Day Care Centre HSE

'I dreamed a dream', with workshops, demos, activities with music, song, dance, art, craft, cookery; cinema. 

St Columba’s Hospital, Thomastown. 

TEL Edwina Muldowney
056 775 4825

Gowran Abbey Nursing Home

Arts, crafts and painting; live music and dancing; creative writing including poems and true stories.

Gowran

TEL Bridget Kirwin
056 772 6500

What's new?

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 singersDawn Chorus returned to waterfronts all across Ireland on Sunday 30 May. See how they went.

See and hear the Dawn Chorus.

Ink exhibition

Ink exhibition logo

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