Bealtaine – Tipperary County Council Library Service

Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival which celebrates the arts and creativity as we age and runs for the month of May. The festival is an initiative of Age & Opportunity, the national organisation that promotes active and engaged living as we get older.

In partnership with Tipperary County Council Arts Office, an extensive, interactive programme is put on throughout the county, with libraries hosting a wide variety of events each year.

The Festival brings together people to foster and inspire creativity among older people and to promote the skills, experiences and exposure that can lead to a rich creative life for all older people.

The aim is to:

Encourage more older people to participate in the arts and to increase the quality and
opportunities of existing participants;
Support the careers of older professional artists and offer them more opportunities to
develop and show work;
Support arts organisations who priorities (or wish to prioritise) older people;
Provide opportunities for intergenerational exchange;
Generate debate and disclosure around key cultural issues impacting on older people and other opportunities to influence national and international policy.

Every year for the month of May we run events in libraries and online to celebrate Bealtaine. Check back here for a full listing of events from the middle of April on.