BEALTAINE BLAZES INTO LIFE
Community bathes in a fresh spring of arts and culture
THE West Kerry Community and a throng of visitors celebrated the arrival of summer with five days of exquisite cultural events at Féile na Bealtaine.
The arts festival which is now in its 23rd year, not only embraces the everyday but also engages international excellence in a cultural medley that is quite simply unique. Local custom infuses with international flavours celebrating Corca Dhuibhne’s Celtic past and multi-cultural present, all of which were in evidence in the 2017 festival programme.
The weather joined in a magical coalition providing sun when necessary and timely showers at night to dispatch revellers to bed in preparation for the next day’s activities. The rich and varied programme of events was well received by full houses from Dun Chaoin to Annascaul.
A visual and natural exploration of the cultural senses and sensibilities, Féile na Bealtaine broadens and extends the community, entertaining and enthralling the thousands that assemble to experience this particular Corca Dhuibhne celebration year in, year out.
The Féile na Bealtaine committee organise events which highlight West Kerry’s artists and rich bilingual traditions and culture and invite stimulating national and international artists to share their work, their skills and their erudite world view in a mesmerising medley that extends over the five days of the festival.
Dr. Luke O’Neill presented a talk on findings in the study of immunology, Professor Ian Robertson outlined the benefits of certain levels stress and how knowledge of the effects of stress can be used to seduce a potential boyfriend. It made great fodder for discussion in the pubs late into the night.
Andrew Jacobs from Cape Cod – the great, great grandson of the last King of the Great Blasket Pádraig Ó Catháin – crossed the Atlantic with a collection of paintings honouring his ancestral home. Micheál de Mordha, who performed the official opening of the exhibition in Ionad an Bhlascaod, was able to name all the individuals depicted in the paintings and pointed out several relations to a surprised Andrew.
Over the course of a festival that had, as Jerry Kennedy observed, ‘more launches than North Korea’ Michael Healy Rae performed another colourful opening in Annascaul where he recalled his childhood foray into the art world – painting pebbles from the river and selling them for 50p to passing tourists in Kilgarvan.
Meanwhile, the Aegdlige Clique from Basel, Switzerland, paid their bi-annual visit to Féile na Bealtaine and added their experience to a discussion about raising children with more than one language, that developed at Michael McCaughan’s talk on his journey back to Irish. The Swiss group, who have a close bond with the Sráid Eoin Wren, have been regulars at the festival since their first visit in 2006.
Threatrical offerings included ‘Kolga’, a post apocalyptic drama based on a Finnish poem and presented by Myllyteatteri (Mill Theatre) from Helsinki. Then there was Sean Moran’s one man show ‘Have a Heart’ and the streetside Horsebox theatre where each three-minute show was performed to a capacity audience of four or five people.
The musical highlight was Mozart’s Requiem which was performed to a capacity audience in St Mary’s Church on Sunday night. There was a shift of focus later on the same night as bonfires blazed at an Óiche Bealtaine celtic celebration that has since attracted 100,000 hits on Facebook.
Organising events that are of interest to the community as well as providing a focus for the work of the extensive artistic community on the peninsula are the pillars of Féile na Bealtaine. “To enliven and enrich the lives of people living here is central to Féile na Bealtaine,” says Dr. Peadar Ó Fionnáin of the festival committee.
The final curtain came down on the festival with a gig by the Foghorn String Band in O’Flaherty’s pub on Monday. The Féile is over but not forgotten. In the time honoured tradition of washing your face in the May morning dew, the community of West Kerry have bathed in a fresh spring of arts and culture and are ready for what the summer may bring.