The county Mayo town has become the latest place to receive the Purple Flag Award and is the first town to be recognised in the North West of Ireland. The purple flag is a very prestigious award which honours excellence in the appeal and management of a town or city centre area between the hours of 5pm and 5am.
Ballina follows Dublin City’s Creative Quarter and Dame District and the town of Ennis in Co Clare, and Bray Co. Wicklow as well as international hotspots like London’s Covent Garden, Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and Liverpool City Centre in achieving the award, which is given out by the UK’s Association of Town and City Management (ATCM).
Town centres that receive the award must score highly in wellbeing (safety and cleanliness), movement (traffic flow and public transport), broad appeal (appeal for people of all ages and interests), place (vitality and cultural stimulation), and policy envelope (clear aim).
The Purple Flag Award is the international accreditation scheme for town and city centres in the evening and at night. It is the “gold standard” for night time destinations. Similar to the Blue Flag given to our finest beaches and the Green Flag that flies in our most eco-friendly schools, the Purple Flag is an accreditation scheme by ATCM that honours excellence in the appeal and management of Ballina as a town.
Over 50 town and city centres have been awarded the Purple Flag Award since the scheme was launched by ATCM in October 2009.
