Welcome to Fingal Libraries Bealtaine Festival 2023, Ireland’s national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age. The festival programme will run for the whole month of May with events across all our branches. We are launching this wonderful festival in Rush Library on Tuesday, 2nd May at 11:30am with a performance from the Forget Me Nots choir, an inclusive community choir for older people. Everyone is welcome to the launch which promises to be an enjoyable and uplifting musical experience. This year’s programme features everything from an empowering talk on life after menopause with author Barbara Scully to an inspiring talk with adventurer Eugene O’Leary. We also have bridge and art classes, talks from Fingal Birdwatch, concerts from the musical ensemble the Mobile Music Machine and much, much more.

Portrait & Landscape Art Workshop with artist Will Nathans
This two-part art workshop will focus on portrait and landscape paintings. Will Nathans is an American born artist who lives in Dublin. He trained in New York City at SVA and studied illustration and cartooning. Participants are requested to bring their own art materials to the class. They will be informed what they need when booking their place at Rush library. Rush Library Wednesday, 24th May Wednesday, 31st May 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Bealtaine Concert with music ensemble Mobile Music Machine
Join the renowned Mobile Music Machine for a special family themed concert celebrating Bealtine in Fingal. Each concert will feature some of Ireland’s most acclaimed musicians, performing songs from the musicals, popular and classical eras. Musicians include soprano Sandra Oman, cellist Gerald Peregrine, trumpeter Niall O’Sullivan and pianist Vincent Lynch. An hour of entertainment for all. Rush Library Friday, 26th May 2:30pm – 3:30pm To reserve a place, please contact Rush library who are hosting the event.

Demonstration of Tovertafel tables, also known as magic tables, consist of a series of interactive games projected onto a table. The images from the games respond to the user’s hand and arm movements allowing users to play with light. Originally designed for people with dementia, these tables provide fun interactive games for people of all ages. Rush Library Tuesday, 2nd May 12:30pm – 1:30pm No booking required. All welcome!