Dingle celebrates Féile na Bealtaine with its own 'Burning man' event

Co Kerry Mayday celebration featured a rave and burning straw effigies 

The Pagan Rave during Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle. Photograph: Manuela Dei Grandi

While the weather may not have reflected it, people across the Dingle Peninsula have been marking the start of the Celtic summer this Bank Holiday weekend.

Taking place from April 28 to May 2, Féile na Bealtaine kicked off this weekend, marking the official start of the Celtic summer.

Footage circulating online showed snippets of the Pagan Rave during Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle. Photograph: Manuela Dei Grandi

The music and arts festival had plenty to offer this year and while there was no street parade, there were lots of exciting and unique events to choose from with plenty of ceol agus craic across the peninsula.

A number of events took place over the course of the weekend to celebrate the festival, including a ‘Pagan Rave’ on Sunday.

The pagan rave, which attracted an audience of some 1,500 people, gets off to an incendiary start during the May weekend Féile na Bealtaine arts festival in Dingle. Photo: Declan Malone

Footage circulating online showed snippets of the exciting event which included fire, music and dancing and was dubbed Dingle's own version of the 'Burning Man'.

Crowds gathered for the ‘rave’ which was among some of the final events of the weekend’s festivities.

Féile na Bealtaine first came to life in 1994 and occurs every year during the May Bank Holiday weekend throughout the area. 

Banishing the darkness to make way for the season of life and growth at the pagan rave held in Dingle during the Féile na Bealtaine arts festival, which ran over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Photo: Declan Malone

It showcases local creativity and has established itself as a top-ranking community festival.