Celebrating arts and creativity
The Bealtaine Festival, Ireland’s national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age, will be celebrated throughout the month of May in Tipperary. Tipperary Arts Office and the Tipperary Library Service are delighted once again to present a busy month of workshops, concerts, poetry, exhibitions, literature and crafts. Join us for the Tipperary Bealtaine Festival launch on Wednesday, April 29, at 3pm in the Source Arts Centre/Thurles Library, when we welcome the legendary Jim Ryan (Jim o’the Mills) and his daughter Cáit Ni Ríain with Songs of May and Summer. Songs of May and Summer will also be performed in a number of library branches throughout the festival, so be sure to check dates for an opportunity to experience it in a library near you.
Within the Tipperary Bealtaine arts programme, artist Lynn Kirkham has been hosting a number of multimedia creative workshops as part of Art in the Park for Bealtaine in Templemore Park, and will launch a temporary art trail on Saturday, May 2, at 2pm. The trail, which explores themes of heritage and environment, will remain on public display in Templemore Park throughout the month of May. Following the May Bank Holiday (May 4) on May 5, the Tudor Artisan Hub creative team present The Memory Keep: A Life with Many Chapters Woven in Fabric and Thread, a unique project blending textile art, storytelling and sustainable upcycling. The exhibition can be viewed from Tuesday to Saturday, May 5 to 17, at the Tudor Artisan Hub, Carrick-on-Suir.
Dromineer and Nenagh Literary Arts Festival has partnered with Tipperary Bealtaine to welcome Jo Kerrigan to Nenagh Arts Centre for a talk on Irish folklore, myths and traditions. Drawing on her many books and extensive research, this promises to be a spellbinding afternoon, with complimentary teas and coffees, on Saturday, May 9, at 3pm.
Across the library service, Soprano Bryony Morison will present a 35-minute vocal recital featuring Irish songs, including favourites Danny Boy and Carrickfergus at 2.30pm on Friday, May 15, at Carrick-on-Suir Library, and 3.30pm on Saturday, May 16, in Clonmel Library. Over at Cashel Library, at 11.30am on Monday, May 11, Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley will explore Irelands past through carefully restored and colourised photographs. Combining detailed research with striking visual material, the talk shows how colour can deepen our understanding of history.
Roisin O’Connell hosts a series of workshops across the county in a number of libraries, starting on Wednesday, May 20, at 11am in Templemore Library (see brochure for further dates), guiding participants in seasonal flower arranging offering insights into gardening and the natural heritage of our landscape. Join Keith Whelan in Cloughjordan Library for some creative writing at 11am on Wednesday, May 13, or pop over to Thurles Library at 7pm on Tuesday, May 12, for a performance by the Thurles Community Orchestra under the direction of Sonja Cadogan.
Finally, to wrap up a jam-packed month, The Tipperary Bealtaine festival concludes with some exciting live events. Tipperary Arts Office is delighted to partner with Creative Places Tipperary and Clonmel Junction Arts Festival to present circus show Won’t Be Told at 11am in Fethard and District Day Care Centre and 3.30pm on Friday, May 22, in the Showgrounds Shopping Centre, Clonmel. Damer House Gallery, Roscrea and Tipperary Bealtaine are working together to host a special screening of Rootstock: The making of The School of Hibernia (after Raphael) on Saturday, May 30, at 3pm in the Black Mills, Roscrea. This documentary film directed by Therry Rudin follows the Irish feminist art collective Na Cailleacha as they create ‘The School of Hibernia’, a large-scale, reimagining of Raphael’s renowned composition seen entirely through the presence and perspective of women. Rootstock is a moving, beautifully crafted exploration of creativity, solidarity, and artistic courage with a rich musical score composed by renowned jazz pianist and saxophonist Carole Nelson. The film will be followed by Therry Rudin and Carole Nelson in conversation.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further details of our wide and varied programme of events, please see the Tipperary Bealtaine Festival brochure 2026 which can be viewed at www.tipperarycoco.ie/arts-and-culture or pick one up from your local library. Most events are free but pre-booking is advised. For further information contact artsoffice@tipperarycoco.ie or libraries@tipperarycoco.ie.