People of town have part to play in earning purple flag

The countdown is on to Friday December 12 when Mullingar makes its bid for Purple Flag status, as a delegation of judges will descend on the town to rate its night time vibrancy and safety.

The Purple Flag is to cities and towns what the Blue Flag is to water and beaches: it advocates a destination that appeals to all ages for its retail offering, social life and safety.

It hinges on the appeal of a night time destination and Brigid Manley, deputy president of Mullingar Chamber of Commerce, says the tourism potential of achieving Purple Flag status would be quantifiable, and would add another string to Mullingar’s bow.

“It would increase the footfall on our streets at night time and into the day tremendously. We have a lovely town and we want to share that. Mullingar is a wonderful area to wander around, everything is within walking distance, and it is a safe place for families, couples and older people to come out and enjoy,” she said.

“On December 12, we are encouraging the general public to come out and enjoy all Mullingar has to offer. Because it is December and the countdown to Christmas is on, it’s a really good time to have this happening,” Brigid continued.

“It will show the vibrancy of the town, and I ask people to come out and enjoy it and be proud of all we have to offer.”
Brigid said all businesses are fully aware that we are being assessed on Friday December 12. “We will be taking them [the judges] to the cultural quarter, encompassing the arts centre and Comhaltas centre, The Atrium, the town park. We will be looking at the swimming pool and tennis club and all Mullingar has to offer in terms of culture and sport.

“Then in the evening we will be looking at our great restaurant business and public houses, live music, and later on, night clubs and hotels.
“We will be highlighting all the key areas that showcase Mullingar in its best light,” she said.

The Purple Flag

The Purple Flag scheme was set up to establish standards and raise the image of town centres at night.

Purple Flag is an accreditation scheme that recognises excellence in the management of town and city centres at night – entertainment areas that achieve the standard will benefit from an improved night time environment and a reputation that offers a better night out to visitors. Many locations around Ireland (and the UK) are already involved.

Just as a Blue Flag is an indicator of a good beach, a Purple Flag is the indicator of where to go for a good night out and will bring positive publicity for town and city centres that achieve it.

Obtaining a Purple Flag shows that a town’s night time economy offers clean and safe environments, great bars and clubs, a variety of arts and cultural attractions and excellent transport links.