Positive Ageing Week: Celebrating knowledge and experience in community life

First held in 2004, Positive Ageing Week has grown into a nationwide celebration, with events taking place in communities across the country. It is an opportunity to celebrate growing older and to recognise the experience, knowledge and contribution of older people to community life. 

For Age Friendly Ireland, this positive approach to ageing is reflected in work taking place through local authorities throughout the year. “Ageing is something to be embraced and enjoyed,” says Emer Coveney, the organisation’s national co-ordinator. “It’s a huge achievement as a society that people are living longer and healthier lives.” 

How local authorities support positive ageing 

Every local authority area in Ireland has an Age Friendly programme designed to help communities become better places in which to grow older. Age Friendly Ireland, a Local Government Ireland shared service hosted by Meath County Council, supports this work nationally on behalf of local authorities. 

The work can take many forms, from improving public spaces, housing and transport to creating opportunities for social participation and supporting people to live independently. In doing so, Age Friendly programmes help shape services and communities in ways that can benefit everyone, at every stage of life. 

A central part of this approach is ensuring that older people have a meaningful role in deciding local priorities. Every local authority has an Older People’s Council, providing a way for older people’s experiences and perspectives to inform its Age Friendly programme. Around 7,000 people participate in Older People’s Councils nationally, forming an important network of citizens who engage directly with local authorities. 

“Older People’s Councils are fundamental to all of that because they inform everything we do in terms of the direction of the programme and what the priorities are,” says Emer Coveney. “It has to be grounded in their lived experience.” 

That involvement can lead to practical and visible changes. Through walkability audits, older people and people with disabilities work directly with local authorities to assess buildings, streets and town centres and identify ways to make them easier to use. As Emer explains, the process is “more than just consultation”, with tangible actions emerging from people’s direct involvement. 

Across the country, this work takes different forms according to the needs and priorities of each community. Initiatives in Kerry and Mayo show how local partnerships can support two important aspects of ageing well: remaining connected to community life and having the confidence to live independently. 

Being part of community life is central to ageing well. Having opportunities to stay active, meet people and try something new can help people maintain existing connections and build new ones. 

In Kerry, the Active Ageing Festival brings these opportunities together in a welcoming community event. Led by Kerry Recreation and Sports Partnership in partnership with Age Friendly Kerry, service providers and community groups, the festival gives older people an opportunity to try activities including pickleball, chair yoga, Go for Life games, Activator Pole walking and floor curling. 

More than 160 people attended the festival in Foilmore in March 2026. Alongside the activities, information stands connected participants with local sports groups, community organisations and services that could help them continue to take part after the event. 

For Davina Griffin, Age Friendly Programme Manager with Kerry County Council, that combination of activity and connection is central to the idea of an age-friendly community. 

“An age friendly community is one where older people can participate, contribute and feel connected. The Active Ageing Festival brings this approach to life by creating a welcoming space where people can try new activities, make connections and get involved in their communities.” 

The festival shows how a local event can create opportunities that extend beyond the day itself. By introducing people to activities, organisations and services in their area, it can provide new ways for them to remain involved in community life. 

Being connected to community life is just one part of ageing well. Having the confidence to remain independent at home is equally important, which is why Age Friendly programmes also support practical initiatives that help people stay safe, informed and connected to services in their local area. 

A good example of this approach can be seen in Mayo, where a partnership between the Age Friendly programme and Mayo County Fire Service combines practical advice, home safety and connections to local supports, helping older people remain independent for longer. 

The initiative began in 2023 as a partnership between the Age Friendly programme in Mayo and Mayo County Fire Service, helping older people remain safe and independent in their own homes. 

With the person's consent, a referral can be made for trained fire officers to visit their home. 

The emphasis is on education. Officers explain potential fire hazards and how to reduce them, provide smoke alarms and show people how to test them, and talk through what to do if a fire occurs. 

A visit can also identify other supports that may help the person remain safely and independently at home. Where appropriate, they can be referred back to the Age Friendly programme for information about supports such as housing adaptation grants. 

Marie Nolan, Age Friendly Programme Manager in Mayo and project lead for the initiative, says understanding that some people face greater fire risks is important. 

“Education is key to reducing fire risk. Older people can sometimes be more vulnerable, for example, they may live in older homes or use open fires, so it is important to understand where the risks are and how they can be reduced. The visits give people practical information and help them feel confident about what to do if there is a fire.” 

The Mayo initiative has since provided a model for similar collaboration elsewhere as the approach is expanded more widely. 

Although the approaches in Kerry and Mayo are different, both respond to people’s everyday lives. One creates opportunities to be active, meet others and connect with local organisations. The other provides practical information and links to supports that can help people feel safer and more confident at home. Together, they show how locally designed initiatives can help people remain active, connected and independent as they age. 

Celebrating positive ageing throughout the year 

Positive Ageing Week celebrates the experience, contribution and achievements of older people in communities across Ireland. The work taking place through local Age Friendly programmes shows how this positive approach can continue throughout the year, helping to shape services and communities in ways that benefit everyone. 

Every local authority area has an Age Friendly programme. To learn more about local events, supports and opportunities to get involved, visit AgeFriendlyIreland.ie.