Donegal County Council winners at Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards

Donegal County Council and local community groups in the area were among the winners of the 2024 National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards.

The awards, which took place on Thursday, November 7, announced that Donegal County Council, had been awarded the 'Age Friendly Environment Award', for their initiative in creating age friendly and inclusive beaches in the county. 

This project is aimed at enhancing accessibility to the county’s beautiful beaches, with a focus on age friendly and public realm improvements.

Three other organisations were also awarded in this category, which is sponsored by the Centre for Excellence In Universal Design, after being shortlisted from 18 applicants.

Winners include, Kildare County Council and Ballymore Eustace Community Development Association, Age Friendly Louth, Ardee Tidy Towns, and Dee Hub An Garda Siochana, along with, Wexford County Council.  

The winning campaigns were chosen for their exceptional contribution to making Ireland an outstanding place to grow older.

MC'ed by RTÉ star Marty Whelan, and hosted this year by Fingal County Council, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin, other awards honoured were the  'Age Friendly Transport Award', 'Age Friendly Community Innovation Award', 'Age Friendly Communication Award', 'Age Friendly Housing Award', 'Age Friendly Safety and Security Award', 'Age Friendly Business Innovation Award', and lastly, 'Age Friendly Active and Healthy Ageing Award.'

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Ireland’s National Public Libraries were also honoured on the night with the Judges' ' Special Recognition Award', acknowledging the exceptional dedication of library staff nationwide.

The judges highlighted how library teams go above and beyond to create welcoming, accessible, and relevant services tailored to the diverse and evolving needs of older people.

Public libraries have also played a vital role in facilitating the rollout of many initiatives recognised in this year’s awards, underscoring their commitment to supporting communities and enhancing the quality of life for older adults across the country.

Commenting on the awards, Ita Healy, Chair of the National Network of Older People’s Councils said, “This annual celebration of projects really personifies what it means to be age friendly. The calibre of projects across the country is a true testament to how Ireland is embracing the Age Friendly Ireland vision. A huge congratulations to the winners and all the shortlisted projects who were truly the gold standard of innovative ideas to improve the quality of life for older adults in Ireland. I look forward to seeing how other groups replicate the projects in their own communities.”

Peter Hynes, Chair of the Age Friendly Awards Selection Panel, who addressed over 300 attendees at the awards ceremony, said, “Choosing just a selection of winners from an exceptional list was no easy task. We visited each shortlisted project to establish if their work, which looked so fantastic on paper, lived up to expectations. Each one exceeded our expectations at every point. Congratulations to the overall winners, your projects are fantastic exemplars of Age Friendly initiatives.”

Age Friendly Ireland facilitates cities, counties, towns and villages across Ireland to prepare for the rapid ageing of our population by paying increased attention to the environmental, economic and social factors that influence the health and well-being of older adults.

Age Friendly programmes work to provide age friendly environments, housing and transportation options, access to key services and opportunities for older people to participate in community activities. By doing so, these communities are better equipped to become great places to age in and grow older.