May belongs to creativity as we age: May belongs to Bealtaine. This year’s festival produced over 3,000 events across Ireland. Events ranged from small private events in a care setting through to big county-wide projects, producing one of the most diverse programmes on Ireland’s cultural calendar.

The month kicked off with a proclamation of protest. The Bealtaine Complaints Choir gave a one-off performance of their song of collected complaints about, among other things, economics, emigration – and the Eurovision.

The Bealtaine Dawn Chorus stretched from Dunmore East to Donegal Town, from Carrickmacross to Cappoquin. In total, there were 24 Dawn Choirs who sang out at the end of May. The Chorus also stretched across the sea with participants in England, France, Italy and Spain. We even had a transcontinental simultaneous performance as a choir in Carhaix-Plouguer in France synchronised with their counterparts in Carrickmacross.

Actor, director, writer and Sligo native Mikel Murfi hit the road for the Bealtaine Theatre Tour with his one-man show The Man in the Woman’s Shoes. What began as a project developed with Sligo County Council Arts Service and Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo in Bealtaine 2012, became a nationwide tour with standing ovations and pretty packed houses. Mikel delighted audiences in 18 venues around the country with his cast of unique characters. Relive his adventure through the eyes of his dog Beamish on the Bealtaine blog.

Wandering Methods, Bealtaine’s slow craft project based in and inspired by Rathfarnham Castle in Dublin, entered its second year supported by the Office of Public Works and Craftspace UK. Participants created works of art using paper and screen printing, inspired by their own personal objects and by the beautiful interior of the castle and assisted by artists Maeve Clancy and Liz Nilsson. This exhibition runs until 27 June.

Congratulations to all the individuals and organisations whose hard work has made Bealtaine 2013 the success that it was. We hope that you got the chance to ‘Grow Happy’ in Bealtaine 2013 and, as we always say, here’s to Bealtaine 2014!