To mark the arrival of Bealtaine, the first days of summer as celebrated by our Celtic ancestors, the village of Killeagh in East Cork is hosting a very special May Sunday Festival this year.
Running from 3rd to 6th of May, the May Sunday Festival comprises a unique schedule of creative and fun events, workshops and activities for all ages, inspired by our Celtic roots. Embracing nature, creativity and local history, free and subsidised events include Dawn Chorus Walks in the Woods, Here comes the Sun! Morning Yoga, Cré Clay workshops, Dogsercise adventure trails for dogs, Imagination Station, children’s art workshops, wreath-making, music and dancing, photo exhibits and lots more fun for all the family!
“Bealtaine means the return of the light, and true to our Celtic roots, the May Sunday Festival kicks off with a Procession led by stilt walkers from Greywoods Arts to Glenbower Woods for the Fire-flame show. The new Seed Pavilion, a community co-designed pop-up gathering space and initiative to support the ecology of the woods, will be opened and the May Sunday celebrations will indeed begin..
Included in this year’s festival line-up, an installation “On the Forest Floor” will see Annie Tull’s multi-layered textile work with haunting depth and mystical whimsy exhibited in the woods, where the work was initially conceived. The piece has just returned from an exhibit in New York, and visitors to Glenbower Woods are invited to interact with the piece, pinning their experiences of the wood to this unique fabric.
Guided by Seanchaí Noelle Ni Ríagáin, an intergenerational storytelling workshop called “When I was your Age will see older adults sharing their memories of childhood, while also learning from young children about their experiences today and hopes for the future, as part of the Age & Opportunity Bealtaine Hero Award.
Also integral to the festival schedule, there will be a Meet the Maker faire, picnics and dancing in the woods, Seanchaí Yoga with children’s storytelling, live music in the village and the GAA Healthy Clubs Family Fun Day throughout the weekend. A full schedule of the Killeagh May Sunday Festival is available at www.maysunday.ie
