As Bealtaine 2012, Ireland's national celebration of creativity as we age, draws to a close in Mayo the final event in the Mayo County Council programme is ‘Blossoms in May’ which takes place at Lough Lannagh Holliday Village from 10.30am-3pm on Thursday 24th May. 

‘May on Our Doorstep’ celebrates local May Day Customs in Ireland and is inspired by the use of flowers to celebrate the month of May. The exhibition, which runs in both The Museum of Country Life and the Linenahll Arts centre during May, features about 1,000 handcrafted flowers created by artists, school children and community groups throughout Co. Mayo.

Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde - Mayo County Council Writer in Residence 2012 will facilitate a Flash Fiction Workshop in Lough Lannagh Lodge on Tuesday next May 15th from 7.30-10pm, open to all writers in the county, as part of the residency. This is a free event, however, there is a limited number of spaces available.

Visitors to the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life are in for a surprise as there are some interesting new residents among the Museum’s folklife collection. For Museum visitors will come across two gossiping ladies, a lady with her hand on heart, a bride beside the lift and a girl in a shawl, as well as a school boy answering a question, a boy and a man in the kitchen and a figure sitting contemplating.

Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde is Mayo County Council Writer in Residence 2012, Mayo County Council Arts Office has announced. Writer Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde hails from Gaoth Dobhair in Donegal.  He has written two collections of short stories; Idir Feoil is Leathar (2002) and Díbeartaigh (2005), both published by Coiscéim. Recently he played the lead role in the feature film Silence, which he co-wrote with the director Pat Collins and Sharon Whooley.

Throughout the month of May, the Linenhall Arts Centre and National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, will host a joint exhibition celebrating local May Day Customs in Ireland. The exhibition entitled ‘May on Our Doorstep’ is inspired by the use of flowers to celebrate the month of May and will feature upward of 1,000 handcrafted flowers created by artists, school children and community groups throughout Co. Mayo.

Mayo County Council Arts Office has announced details of its month long programme of activity for Bealtaine 2012. This is the seventeenth year of Bealtaine, Ireland's national celebration of creativity. The popular annual event is co-ordinated nationally by Age and Opportunity set up to challenge negative attitudes to ageing and to promote greater participation by older people in society.

During May Áras Inis Gluaire in Belmullet will celebrate Bealtaine.  Bealtaine is about celebrating creativity as we age. Some of the events include an exhibition launch on Friday 4 May which will run for the month.

Just opened at Ballina Arts Centre is Strange Days - a curated exhibition featuring the work of three artists – Michelle Considine, Amy McGovern and Margo McNulty. 

Mayo County Council Arts Office and Library Service are currently inviting submissions from people who wish to be included in a collective Bealtaine publication, ‘The Green Bough’.  This broadsheet publication will showcase work created by older people from County Mayo.