EN
The paper is of an informative character and presents a unique phenomenon, namely the Bealtaine Festival. In the first part, the authoress cites demography of Irish society and refers to the forecasts concerning the ageing of the world's population. The second part of the article entitled Bealtaine - general information covers the key organizational assumptions of the Festival. Furthermore, the authoress mentions some of the projects and events that took place during the 2006 and 2007 Festivals. Next part of the article entitled Bealtaine 2008 is devoted to some basic information about the 2008 Festival. Given the nationwide nature of the Bealtaine Festival, the paper does not cover all of the events taking place there limiting the description to two unique projects. Moreover, the authoress notes that although the Bealtaine might have been a pioneering venture, the idea of such events had already been put into practice in Wales and the Netherlands. Finally, a brief summary stresses the importance of the Festival for socio-cultural life in the Republic of Ireland.