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Midlands Town Receives Purple Flag Accreditation

Friday, 1 October 2021 15:05

The Purple Flag is an accreditation similar to the Blue Flag award for beaches.

Mullingar is officially celebrating today after the announcement from Mullingar Chamber and Westmeath County Council that they have been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag accreditation for its evening and night-time economy (ENTE) for the 6th consecutive year. 

The award coincides with October being Purple Flag Month. Mullingar Chamber are encouraging businesses to get involved in any way they can and show their support for Mullingar's Purple Flag. They encourage the use of "purple" which could include a drink, a food, a window dressing, lights, balloons, discount offer / deal name. Find out more about Purple Flag Month on their social media pages. 

Mullingar is the only town in the Midlands to receive the Purple Flag Accreditation and 1 of one 8 towns throughout Ireland! Purple Flag is an accreditation similar to the Blue Flag award for beaches. It leads to Purple Flag status and is the 'Gold Standard' for evening and night time destinations, indicating an entertaining, diverse, well-managed and enjoyable night out which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of towns and city centres between the hours of 5pm & 5am.

Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents. The retention of the Purple Flag will only enhance the appeal of Mullingar both as a destination for visitors and as an attractive place to live and work. 

Aisling Coleman, Office Manager with the Mullingar Chamber said 'We are incredibly proud to have retained our Purple Flag status for another year. It is a reflection of the strength of ongoing partnerships and engagement activities with all key stakeholders. We want to thank our committee members who have given up their time for the Purple Flag, they are Mark Brindley (The Planning Partnership), Sarah Jane Foster [SJF Productions], Dec Murphy [Daly's Bar], Ruth Illingworth [Author & President of Westmeath Historical & Archaeological Society] Hazel Smyth [WCC] and Roger Nicolson [Gardai]. We look forward to ensuring that Mullingar is a safe place where people can enjoy our vibrant evening and night time environment." 

Deirdre Reilly, Director of Services at Westmeath County Council stated "Mullingar has always been known for its wonderful music and night-life and we are working hard to make Mullingar more attractive for residents and visitors alike. The Purple Flag is recognition of the standards that have been achieved. This can be accredited to the collaboration of the local businesses, restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues throughout the town. This is a great achievement and paves the way for delivering on Fleadh 2022"

Mullingar will promote the Purple Flag, using it as a stepping stone in our continuing development of a vibrant evening and night time environment which is safe and well managed. 

Purple Flag is: 
 An accreditation process similar to Green Flag Award for parks and Blue Flag for beaches. It leads to Purple Flag status for town centres that meet or surpass the standards of excellence in managing the evening and night-time economy.
A comprehensive set of standards, management processes and good practice examples designed to help transform town and city centres at night.
A research, training and development programme, to help towns and cities improve their evening and night-time economy. 
A positive initiative that indicates an entertaining, diverse, safe and enjoyable night out. 
 

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