CORK County Council has launched its Bealtaine Festival programme for 2025, featuring a selection of free events in libraries across the county.
Bealtaine (Irish for May) takes place each May and is a national celebration of arts and creativity as we age, supported by the Arts Council and Creative Island.
This year’s events include arts and crafts, poetry, storytelling, Japanese painting workshops, and a course in drawing, painting and mindfulness.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Joe Carroll said: ‘Bealtaine is the perfect time to try something new or to revisit a lost skill. Creativity benefits us all regardless of what age we are. The activities take place in our fantastic libraries, which continue to be a great, free resource for every member of our community.’
Coinciding with Poetry Day this Thursday, May 1st, the Bealtaine programme kicks off with Poetry Friends in Macroom Library from 3pm until 4pm.
Guest poets Fiona Smith and Bernadette Gallagher will read a selection of their work. This will be followed by an open mic where people can share their own poems or a poem they connect with.
Also on the programme of events in the West Cork area, artist Sinéad Cullen will lead a four-week course in drawing, painting and mindfulness in Castletownbere Library.
Storyteller Terri Ryan will facilitate a two-part workshop for budding storytellers across libraries in the county. The free workshops will take place in Bandon, Kinsale and Skibbereen.
Participants are asked to contact their preferred library by phone, email or in-person to book their place at the workshops and events.
Contact details for the libraries are as follows:
•Bandon (023)8844830
[email protected];
•Castletownbere (027)70233
castletownberelibrary@
corkcoco.ie;
•Kinsale (021) 4774266
[email protected];
•Macroom (026) 42483
[email protected];
•Skibbereen (028) 22400 skibbereen.library@
corkcoco.ie.
