Painting Ennis Town Centre Purple!
Painting Ennis Town Centre Purple!
Ennis, the first town in Ireland to achieve Purple Flag designation, has successfully retained its prestigious Purple Flag status. This follows a rigorous overnight assessment conducted assessors representing the UK governing body, the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), which took place in August.
The Benchmark
The award is in recognition of the towns’ thriving evening and night-time economy. Purple Flag – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – is an international award to raise the standards and broaden the appeal of town and city centres from early evening until late (5pm to 5am).
Purple Flag accreditation is the result of an in-depth year-round process, with a biannual assessment by trained international assessors. Run by the ATCM, Purple Flag is regarded as the benchmark for good night time destinations in the UK and Ireland.
Areas awarded with a Purple Flag are recognised for providing a diverse and vibrant mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and well-being of visitors and local residents. Or, to put it more simply, Purple Flag status indicates that Ennis is a good and safe place to go for a good night out! Not just for pubs and clubs but for a wide range of activities including arts and culture, leisure, eating out and events.
It’s not difficult to see why Ennis town centre tick all the boxes with a growing number of restaurants, cafes and attractions, plus major cultural events at glór and other venues, attracting visitors and residents of all ages.
Ennis Purple Flag Working Group
A number of local agencies, led by Ennis Chamber, including members of Ennis Garda Station, Ennis Municipal District (both elected members and staff), Civil Defence, Active Ennis, taxi organisations, Queens Night Club, glór plus other representatives from the business, community and voluntary sector sit on the Ennis Purple Flag working group. Chaired by Cllr. Johnny Flynn, Mayor of Ennis, with Margaret O’Brien, CEO Ennis Chamber as Purple Flag Coordinator. This working group meets throughout the year with the aim to ensure the town continues to provide great entertainment, exceptional hospitality and a safe night out for visitors.
Mayor of Ennis Cllr. Johnny Flynn commented, “Retention of the Purple Flag represents a great achievement for the town, but it is also reflective of the hard work that goes into ensuring Ennis maintains the high standards set by the awarding body ATCM. In this respect, the Purple Flag is an excellent initiative because it promotes year round cooperation and greater collaboration between the key organisations represented on the Ennis Purple Flag Working Group.
For further information about the coveted award, visit www.atcm.org/purple-flag.
