May is the month for Age & Opportunity’s Bealtaine Festival – Ireland’s national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age. To celebrate, Clare Libraries will be hosting a range of activities in libraries around the county throughout the month.
Clare County Librarian, Helen Walsh, said: “We are delighted to participate in the Bealtaine Festival each year and provide opportunities to create meaningful participation for older people in cultural and creative life.
“We also welcome the opportunity to support the careers of older professional artists and authors and offer them more opportunities to develop and showcase their work.”
The Bealtaine Festival is an initiative of Age & Opportunity and supported by the Arts Council.
Highlights include:
Introduction to Creative Writing, supported by Creative Ireland
Venue: Kilrush Library
Date: Wednesday 10th & Wednesday 17th May, 11:00am to 1:30pm
Memoir Writing Course, supported by Creative Ireland
Venue: Ennis Library
Date: Every Monday in May, 10:30am to 12:30pm
The Road That Rises, Reading and Talk
Following on from the launch of Dermot Hayes’ memoir, ‘The Road That Rises – a boy from Kells’, join Dermot Hayes and Breda Shannon for a reading of excerpts from the book followed by a talk on memoir and collaborative writing.
Venues and Dates:
Ennis Library – Thursday, 18th May, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Scariff Library – Thursday, 25th May, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Ennistymon Library – Tuesday, 30th May, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Nan Hogan, Her Life in Cumann na mBan Among Women of the Irish Revolution
Join author Colm Liddy as he talks about the life of Clare native and Cumann an mBan member, Nan Hogan. This event is supported by the Decade of Centenaries Programme.
Venue: Shannon Library
Date: Tuesday, 9th May, at 6:30pm
A Box Full of Memories
An intergenerational art exhibition showcasing work created by the students at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla, together with members of the older community living in Tulla.
Venue: Tulla Library, during library opening hours
For more information visit bealtaine.ie and clarelibrary.ie