Bealtaine Festival 2024: Celebrating Arts and Creativity in Age

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Bealtaine Festival, Ireland’s National celebration of arts and creativity as we age, announces its highly anticipated return for 2024. The festival invites arts organisations of all kinds to register their events and join the vibrant festivities set to unfold across Ireland throughout the month of May.  

 

The Bealtaine Festival team is calling out nationwide for individuals and organisations of all sizes to join in the celebration, to plan and register events to take place in their regions in May 2024. From music and choral performances to visual art, theatre, writing workshops, dance, literature, circus, discussions on ageing diversity, film screenings, storytelling and much more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

 

With an exciting, ever-growing lineup of events soon to be announced, ‘Prom Night’ is revealed as just a taste of what festivalgoers can expect. Hosted in partnership with Street 66 and Outhouse at Street 66, ‘Prom Night’ is set to be aninclusive event for older LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those who may not have been able to participate when they were younger, to put on their finest attire with a partner of their choice and step back in time to recreate the magic of prom. Iconic drag artist Alan Amsby (AKA Mr Pussy) will perform, with a special photo-booth intervention by photographer Enda Burke and music by DJ Ruth Kavanagh. 

 

Adding to the excitement, Age & Opportunity introduces the festival theme for 2024: “Lust for Life.” This theme celebrates the vitality and appreciation for life that often accompany later years. To explore this theme, Bealtaine Festival has commissioned an essay titled “Lust for Life” by writer and former Labour TD Liz McManus. The essay delves into the joy of living in older age and is available to read on Bealtaine.ie.

 

Bealtaine Festival is an initiative by Age & Opportunity, funded by The Arts Council and the HSE. As a pioneering national arts festival, Bealtaine fosters creativity among older people across Ireland, promotes intergenerational collaboration, showcases older artists, and encourages skills and experiences that enrich creative lives.

 

The Harris PR team is looking forward to utilising our expertise in media relations and events by supporting Bealtaine Festival across PR and social activity, to highlight the vibrant festivities set to unfold across Ireland throughout the month of May.

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Denny Redmond

JUNIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Denny brings a rich and varied background across PR, HR, and theatre production, with PR agency experience and an in-house role with The Gate Theatre, as well as several roles in the HR sector. After taking time to travel and pursue further studies, he returned to the world of PR in 2025, joining the Harris PR team where he supports clients in the food, motoring, retail, festivals & events, and NFP sectors.

 

Denny’s creative waters run deep, and his communication skills, signature energy and collaborative approach make him an invaluable addition to the team.

Viktoriia Hurska

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Vika joined Harris PR following her selection as the recipient of the 2025/26 Harris PR Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Bursary, developed in partnership with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) and the Open Doors Initiative. Originally from Ukraine and displaced by war, Vika came to Ireland in 2022 and brings over eight years of experience in communications including a wealth of strategic insight, creativity, and international perspective.

 

As part of the Bursary, Viktoriia is completing the PRII Diploma in Public Relations, combining academic study with hands-on agency experience at Harris PR, where she supports clients in the retail, health & wellness, festivals and NFP sectors.

Eve McSweeney

Account Manager

Eve is a skilled communications specialist who joined Harris PR in 2026 bringing extensive experience in strategic PR across the business, technology, and consumer sectors.

 

Eve previously spent over four years at tech-focused communications agency Beachhut PR, where she delivered strategic positioning, executive profiling, and global media relations for high-growth companies and multinational brands, often translating jargon heavy language into clear messaging. Her experience spans fintech, automotive, e-commerce, Web3, med-tech, supply chain, and enviro-tech industries.

 

She plays a key role in shaping and delivering integrated communications strategies, working closely with clients to build strong narratives, deliver insight-led storytelling, and drive meaningful media engagement.

Emma Geraghty

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Emma started her career in Internal Communications before undertaking a Masters in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. She moved on to become a Public Relations Manager in a fast-paced retail environment for over two years before joining Harris PR in 2025.

 

Experienced in delivering and executing PR campaigns across corporate, consumer and sustainability communications, whilst nurturing brand reputation, Emma manages clients in the health & wellness, retail, festivals and NFP sectors. A true media relations pro, her passion lies in storytelling and identifying news angles that will generate positive coverage while landing key messages.

Niamh McCarrick

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR

With over 20 years’ experience, both agency and in-house, Niamh is a versatile and passionate PR expert who joined the Harris PR team in 2020.

 

During the course of her career she has worked with a broad range of corporate entities and consumer brands from industries spanning retail, telecoms, and FMCG, and has been the recipient of a number of PRCA awards in recognition of her work. She later served on the judging panel for the annual industry awards for several years.

Niamh specialises in strategy, planning, media relations and influencer management at Harris PR, and is the account lead for a number of brands in the retail, food & beverage, health & wellness and travel & tourism sectors.

Sonia Harris Pope

FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Sonia established Harris PR in 2009, following a decade in agency PR and three years as a journalist with the Sunday Independent.  Her vision is to provide a truly people centric service, delivering standout creative work that moves the dial, while acting as an extension of client teams

 

While taking an active role in client work, alongside running the business, Sonia is responsible for strategic counsel, creative oversight and KPI delivery.  She has advised multinationals, start-ups, NFPs, and more over the course of her career and is deeply committed to advancing the PR industry by investing in talent and building an agency culture rooted in fairness and inclusivity.

 

Sonia is committed to advancing DEI in the PR Industry, and recently commissioned research and prepared the first benchmark report and toolkit for employers on the state of DEI in PR Ireland.  An active member of the PRII, and co-founder of the DEI PR Bursary now in its third year, Sonia has recently joined the board of the PRCA, and is committed to driving more inclusive hiring and workplace practices throughout the industry.