With the aid of Galway Co. Council Heritage office and Killererin Young at Heart, our Heritage Society hosted a very successful event in Barnaderg community centre on 27th May, 2017 for Bealtaine. The word Bealtaine is the Irish word for the month of May and this event was one of many which were held all around the county.
The aim of Bealtaine Festival
The aim of the Bealtaine festival is to celebrate creativity in older people and our festival brought together the young and not so young of the parish and beyond in a unique learning environment. It gave the older people in our community the opportunity to pass on their creative skills and talents to a new generation. Likewise, it gave our young people the opportunity to get up close and personal with crafts and skills that are no longer taught in our schools. It gave them the opportunity to see their parents and grandparents in a new light and look at them with renewed respect..
Informal, happy occasion
It was a very informal fun occasion with the young learning traditional skills from the older people in their community. What transpired was a unique fun learning experience where not only the young learned from the adults present but the adults also learned from their peers. It became a case of everyone learning from each other in a happy, friendly environment.
It was also unusual in that the venue in which we hosted our festival of creativity was once the National school in Barnaderg and some of those present had actually gone to school there. They had both fond and not so fond memories of their own learning experience there. All in all, it was a very successful venture for all present and everyone went home happy.
Photo Gallery
The following photos give a flavour of what happened there.
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Brendan O'Boyle of Killererin Heritage Society showing Sara Kate Greaney and her mother Mary from Lissavalley how to play the spoons
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Mary Ellen Burke, centre, Gurranecoyle, demonstrating how to make St. Brigid's Crosses to Bríd Fahy, Peak Boreen and Eileen Reynolds, Cloonlusk
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Bernie Morrissey, Barnaderg, teaching Rebecca and Alina Rooney, Tygreenane how to make cards for any occasion
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Eileen Reynolds, Cloonlusk, teaching Sarah Ahern Togher, how to do patchwork
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Dolores Finnerty, Tuam, Mary Rooney, Tygreenane and Bríd Fahy, Peak Boreen displaying some of the crochet work made by Dolores and Bríd
Photo; Bernadette Forde
Helen Treacy displaying a dress she made for one of her daughters from her sister's bridesmaid dress many moons ago
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Sara Kate Greaney Lissavalley, learning how to make greeting cards with Bernie Morrissey, Barnaderg, watched by Mary Rooney, Tygreenane
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Learning how to Make St. Brigid's crosses - on left Mary Raftery, Castleview and Bríd Fahy, Peak Boreen.
Photo Bernadette Forde
Rebecca and Alina Rooney learning how to master the hoola-hoops in Barnaderg Community Centre
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Seamus Morrissey, Barnaderg, being taught how to play the spoon by Brendan O'Boyle, Creevaghbaun during Bealtaine festival
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Deirdre Mulryan and her daughter Maggie, Niece and grand-niece of Mary P. Mullins, Dangan watching Sarah Ahern, Togher, completing her patchwork project at Bealtaine festival 2017 in Barnaderg
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Mary Nolan, Knock, Barnaderg teaching Rebecca Rooney, Tygreenane how to knit during our Bealtaine festival 2017 in Barnaderg Community Centre
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Mary Nolan, Knock, Barnaderg with Veronica Morrissey, Peak, enjoying Bealtaine Festival 2017 in Barnaderg community centre with some of Mary's crafts on display.
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Display of sewing and tapestry made by Helen Treacy, Dangan
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Brendan O'Boyle, Creevaghbaun and Seamus Morrissey, Barnaderg modelling crochet work watching Sarah Ahern, Togher, completing her patchwork project monitored by her teacher Eileen Reynolds, Cloonlusk
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Mary P. Mullins, Dangan, being taught how to make St. Brigid's crosses by Mary Ellen Burke, Gurranecoyle.
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Helen Treacy, Dangan and Sara Kate Greaney, Lissavalley enjoying their day out at Bealtaine Festival 2017 in Barnaderg Community Centre
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Mary Ellen Burke with completed St. Brigid's cross at Bealtaine festival, Barnaderg, 2017, watched by Rebecca Rooney.
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Eileen Reynolds with her willing pupil Sarah Ahern, Togher displaying her completed patchwork
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Rooney sisters Rebecca and Alina, Tygreenane, being taught how to make greeting cards by Bernie Morrissey, Barnaderg, watched by Dolores Finnerty, Tuam
Photo: Bernadette Forde
Bríd Fahy, demonstrating how to crochet watched by Mary P. Mullins, Mary Rooney, Seamus Morrissey and Helen Treacy
Photo: Bernadette Forde
This page was added on 07/08/2017.
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