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Ennis Age Friendly Town

An Age Friendly Town is a town where the community understands and responds to the needs of older adults. It is a town in which older people are actively involved in social, economic and cultural life and in creating a better local environment, to everybody’s benefit.

"If you design for the young you exclude the old, but if you design for the old you include everyone"

Glenn Miller, Director of Education and Research, Canadian Urban Development Institute.

The Age Friendly Towns initiative has been implemented in Ennis and across many other towns in Ireland.  By enabling Ennis to become an Age Friendly Town we are joining a great movement in Ireland where larger towns, smaller towns and local neighborhoods have already participated. By prioritising the participation of older people in the Ennis Age Friendly Town project, it will significantly improve the quality of life of older adults living, shopping and socialising in the town.

The capital town of Ennis accounts for approximately 23% of the county’s population and based on projected growth will increase by a further 25% by the year 2040. The development of Ennis as an Age Friendly town will facilitate an increase in the older generation living in the town or visiting. By using Ennis as a pilot town, the initiatives can be replicated in other towns in Clare. 

Ennis Walkability Studies

Three days of Walkability Studies were carried out in Ennis during January and February 2019. A Walkability Study assesses how easy or difficult it is to get around the town, and how easy or difficult it is to access services. A group of older people and others walked 6 routes to identify and prioritise things that could be improved in Ennis.

After each walk, a short questionnaire developed by Age Friendly Ireland (AFI) in collaboration with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) was completed.  All participants including the facilitators and note-takers completed the questionnaire.

The results from all the different routes studied have been analysed and presented in the Walkability Report below. 

Ennis Town Survey

An Ennis Age Friendly Survey was conducted in February 2020 using the On-Street Survey template.  The results were collated and presented in the form of a pie-chart report featured within the Ennis Age Friendly Town Plan.

Ennis Age Friendly Town Group

Analysis of the Walkability Study results took place with local authority staff, planners, engineers and other key stakeholders involved in the Age Friendly Town Team.  The Ennis Age Friendly Town Group comprised of staff from Ennis Municipal District and Clare County Council, members of the Clare Older People’s Council, Alzheimer’s Society, Community Garda, Ennis Mental Health Association and Ennis Chamber of Commerce. 

Launch of Ennis as an Age Friendly Town

The launch of Ennis as an Age Friendly Town took place on 27th August 2021.

Page last reviewed: 30/08/21

Content managed by: Rural and Community

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