A chara, – Active Retirement Ireland commends Jacky Jones on her stance against ageism (Second Opinion, HealthPlus, May 15th), but we reject the idea that the Bealtaine Festival reinforces negative stereotypes and ageist attitudes.
It is unthinkable that a world-leading celebration of the cultural contribution of older people to society at large could exacerbate the problem of ageism. The fact is that the Bealtaine Festival does not perpetuate any myths through organising events that are suitable for the age group in question. As Irish people age, we, as a nation, tend to forget the potential they have to contribute to society. The Bealtaine Festival has encouraged many thousands of older people to engage with arts and culture in way they had heretofore never imagined and has seen an increase in the number of retired people taking part in the myriad other art festivals run across the country. One of the more remarkable successes of the Bealtaine Festival has been its adoption by socio-economic groups who traditionally neither attend nor partake in art festivals. This in turn has led to older people taking a more active role in such other events as Culture Night, local festivals and much more.
Ms Jones is correct in saying that ageism is, unfortunately, alive and well in Ireland; but the achievements of the Bealtaine Festival in combating these outdated attitudes need to be recognised. – Is mise,
PETER KAVANAGH,
Information Networking Officer,
Active Retirement Ireland,
Mary’s Abbey,
Dublin 7.