Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival which celebrates the arts and creativity as we age. This year Bealtaine is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. The theme for 2024 -2026 is Lust for Life. The festival is run by Age & Opportunity, the leading national development organisation working to enable the best possible quality of life for us all as we age.
Check out our Bealtaine 2025 brochure here.
Age & Opportunity Arts provides opportunities for older people to be more creative more often, to create meaningful participation and representation for all older people in cultural and creative life and to demonstrate and celebrate how our creative potential can improve with age.
To enhance digital skills, Offaly County Council and Offaly Local Development Company in collaboration with Offaly Libraries recently launched an Age-Friendly digital skills programme using Acorn tablets. The aim of this programme is to empower older adults to confidently navigate the digital world by offering tailored training sessions on how to use tablets for online communication, everyday tasks, and browsing.
Offaly Libraries are also proud to partner with LOETB’s Community Education service in the delivery of fantastics events such as the Air Fryer Cookery demonstrations, Card Making, Chair Yoga and the Mindfulness Workshops.
During the month of May, Offaly Libraries will celebrate Bealtaine with the following events. All events are free. To book your space, please contact your local library.
Details can be found on our website at https://www.offaly.ie/c/library-events-activities/.
Bealtaine Events in Offaly Libraries
- Hand Painted Card Making Workshops with Pauline McNelis will be available in all our libraries. Booking Essential.
- Open Mic Poetry sessions will be held in Tullamore and Edenderry Libraries.
- Resin Workshop for Adults can be booked in Edenderry Library.
- Air Fryer Cookery Demonstrations with Yvonne Carty will be in Birr, Clara and Tullamore Libraries. Booking Essential.
- Mindfulness classes will be in Birr, Clara, Edenderry and Kilcormac Libraries. Booking Essential.
- A Mindfulness and Breathwork workshop will be in Tullamore library.
- Enjoy a Chair Yoga session in Edenderry Library
- Intergenerational Story time Sessions will be held in Edenderry, Tullamore, Clara and Daingean Libraries. All welcome.
- Birr library is hosting “Insights” art exhibition for the month of May.
- Liz Flemming, Stylist with Classy and Elegance will host an evening of fashion tips in Clara Library.
- An Information session with An Garda Síochána will be in Tullamore Library to highlight the services and supports provided.
- Enjoy a coffee and listen to great music with Tullamore Gramophone Society in Tullamore Library.
- The Chorus Connection Community Choir will sing a variety of songs to celebrate Bealtaine in Tullamore Library.
- Acoustic Hearts will host and evening of songs and stories in Edenderry Library.
- Intergenerational Portrait Painting will take place in Birr Library.
- Bridging Generations Through Robotics! Tullamore and Birr Libraries will host a fun-filled intergenerational vex robotics session for grandparents and grandchildren.
- Edenderry Library will host a Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) presentation on home energy saving tips and advice.
