RESPOND! BEÁLTAINE EVENTS
Beáltaine is a national month long festival held in the month of May celebrating older people as we age. Respond..Beáltaine is a national month long festival held in the month of May celebrating older people as we age. Respond are holding and hosting a number of activities nationwide which are being run in conjunction with this festival.
CONCLUDING EVENT FOR BUSY BEÁLTAINE PROGRAMME FOR 2013
The County Carlow Older Persons Network are organising “ Tea and Talk” an information session for all older people in the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow dated Wednesday 29th May from 11-1pm.
The aim of the event is to bring older people together to network and share information. There will be a number of interesting speakers on the day including Eamon Timmins, Age Action Ireland, Imelda Byrne, ICA Bootcamp, Áine Forde-Bates, Carlow Citizens Information Service and Philip O’ Reilly, National Co-ordinator of Services for Older People, Respond Housing. There will also be a wide range of information stands on the day focusing on services and rights and entitlements for older people.
The event is free of charge and a light lunch will be served on the day. For more information please contact Fiona Dunne at (059) 9179376
This event is the concluding event of a busy Bealtaine Programme for 2013 and is kindly supported by County Carlow Development Partnership.
SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE MONTH-LONG FESTIVAL INCLUDED:
AIRMOUNT RESIDENT TAKES PART IN BEÁLTAINE OPENING CEREMONY IN DUBLIN
Gerard Rea, resident of Frances Terrace Airmount, performed in the Complaints Choir on the opening day of the Beáltaine Festival on May 1st in Temple Bar Dublin. The choir of 30 strong voices have been practicing every Thursday since January in the public library, getting ready to complain about everything from Ryan Air to Daniel O’Donnell and Cyclists to Bankers. I am sure they got a lot off their chest and their performance was brilliant.
Other Airmount residents are busy choosing from a number of activities laid-on at Garter Lane, including a ‘Time Traveller Workshop’ which explores the area of your life through art, creating a memory image.
The Go For Life Group in Airmount will join the GFLG in Westlands for a day trip to Johnstown Castle and Gardens in Wexford on the 27th May. Hopefully this will be first of many events with different estates coming together to celebrate active ageing.
Go for Life Airmount Convent Court and Westlands will compete for the Go for Life games was held on Saturday 8th June in Dublin City University. The Training Day for Airmount was Wednesday 8th May where 12 people will be picked to represent Waterford and the Training Day for Wexford is 29th May. We wish all the best of luck in the selection.
GO FOR LIFE HOLD A SONG AND DANCE AFTERNOON AT WESTLANDS, WEXFORD.
To mark Beáltaine the Go for Life Group held an afternoon of song and dance with light refreshments at 2.30 – 4.15 on Wednesday 8th May in Westlands Community Centre (photo above) Children of the area were invited over to the Centre, when they finish school, for some games and refreshments. This was a great opportunity for residents of Westlands and nearby estates to meet and get to know each other.
ART CLASSES AT BLACKPOOL DAY CARE CENTRE
Art Classes took place at Respond’s Blackpool Day Care Centre during the month of May. The art teacher was sourced through VEC and attended every Tuesday and Fridays. Sixteen attendees really enjoyed the art classes which took place for 2 hours from 11:00am. At the end of the month some artists took home the beautiful pictures they painted while some choose to have theirs framed to be given as presents to their families.
Blackpool’s Day Care Centre summer outing, which is a bus trip to Youghal, is coming up on Wednesday 3rd July. Ann Cahill Nurse Manager at the Blackpool Day Care Centre stated that they are hoping for a bit of sunshine this year after a history of rain over the last number of outings.
Ann stated that: “Hopefully this year the weather will be kind enough to let us go “skinee dipping” ……… or maybe we’ll just settle for a paddle in the sea”
Day Care Centre BBQ is coming up on the 2nd August 2013
GALWAY BEÁLTAINE FESTIVAL EVENTS HOSTED AT RESPOND!
The Active in Age Oranmore group organised a 4-day Bealtaine Festival, celebrating creativity of Oranmore’s older residents from 7th-10th May.
The festival lived up to its promise of an exciting event celebrating creativity of older people in the community. Respond Housing Association, who are members and organisers with Active in Age Oranmore, hosted the activities in Árd na Mara, Oranmore in the Blue Room. There were a variety of workshops to choose from including; banner making, textile craft demonstrations, creative cards, window box construction, digital photography, dance, music and much more.
Respond are also organising an Art Exhibition in Loughrea. Residents and neighbouring St Laurence Fields estate Art Group, have been working over the last few months to create a collection of art for viewing. Many of the paintings for display have been inspired by nature.
This Art exhibition will take place in Respond Meadowbrook Court Community Building during May and will reflect on the Bealtaine theme of “Grow Happy”. The residents of both estates will be inviting their older neighbours to make it a truly “Inter-generational” celebration!
Both events have been made possible by funding from Galway County Council.
RESIDENT INVITED TO TAKE PART IN STORY TELLING IN TRALEE
Delia O’ Sullivan resident of Convent Walk has scooped second place in a National Essay Writing completion organised by the Active Retirement Ireland Association.
Delia who is a founder member of the Writers Group in the Ballybunion Branch of Active Retirement has in the past won several awards for her short stories which have featured in the Ballydonoghue Parish Magazine.
Also a member of the Art Class is both creative and artistic. Delia regularly hosts book clubs in the resident’s common room in Ballybunion. Delia is very proud of her latest award and she equally appreciates the work of the Active Retirement association in celebrating the role of older people within the community of Ballybunion.
Delia has been invited to participate in the “Probus” story-telling competition. Being held in Tralee.
This group will also host their Annual Bealtine Day on Sunday May 19th in the Convent Hall.
EVENTS RUNNING FOR BEÁLTAINE IN EASTERN REGION
The Eastern region are joining other ARA groups for events and there is a full programme available for the month for May which include:
- Talks are to be given by Maurice Murphy on the local history of Abbeyleix.
- Gatherings of dancers and singers from the Abbeyleix Active Retirement Group performing at the Abbeyleix Hospital.
- Kevin O’Brien will give a talk on places of interest here in Abbeyleix including the De Vesci Estate. Local resident Kevin has also just published a book.
- Video showings of Abbeyleix winning the Pride of Place award.
Way up North, Donegal will be linking in with a local group Voice of Older People to see what can be facilitated. Alan will keep us posted.
Apologies if we have missed events being organised. We will be gathering and posting photographs of all events listed so please keep sending the photos to pr@respond.ie