Time to paint the town purple
Mullingar’s nightlife is being assessed tomorrow Friday December 12 when judges from the Purple Flag Awards will be in town to check out businesses, restaurants, bars and hotels, and the safety and ease with which people move about its environs.
A civic welcome to mark the launch of the adjudication process takes place in the Atrium of Áras an Chontae, at 4pm. Heading up the Town Team is Bridget Manley, who says: “Mullingar is a great town, so why not tell the world about it?
“If we were to achieve the Purple Flag, the tourism potential would be phenomenal. Not only would it attract new businesses into the town, but it would also ensure a safer and more versatile night time economy,” Ms Manley told the Westmeath Examiner.
“We’ll be showing them around Mullingar from 5pm so everyone be on alert! So far, everyone has been very supportive, so hopefully we’ll be celebrating in the new year,” she added.
There will be two adjudicators assessing Mullingar, one flying in from the UK and the other driving down from the North, and Deputy Robert Troy is doing his part too. “This is a positive and real opportunity for Mullingar,” he said. “If we are to be successful in our bid to achieve Purple Flag status, it would give the town a competitive advantage over similar towns in the area.
“We’ve all heard people say that Athlone and Tullamore get everything – well this is our chance to beat them in securing the Purple Flag, which should mean a major boost to the hospitality sector. It would also be positive for the people living in Mullingar. It means that Mullingar is a safe town to live in,” Deputy Troy told the Westmeath Examiner this week.
He urged the people of Mullingar to seize this opportunity, including sports clubs and businesses, saying they needed to put their “best foot forward” on the evening.
“We need to get the awareness out there, God forbid they go into a particular business and ask about the Purple Flag only to be met with a blank stare,” said Deputy Troy.
“The wider community should be aware that this is a huge opportunity to show these judges what a great town Mullingar is.
“It’s so close to Christmas that I think it will work to our advantage. Everyone is in better form and getting into the spirit of Christmas, there will be late opening so it will showcase the great women’s boutiques and men’s shops we have, restaurants, pubs and hotels.”
Deputy Troy went on to say that full credit was due to Mullingar Town Team, and specifically, Brigid Manley and Mark Brindley, who are the driving force behind this application, and have put in many long hours and late nights.
“First and foremost, it’s the businesses and clubs, it’s very important that they put their best foot forward. Businesses can show their support by hanging a purple flag outside their premises, decorating with purple lighting or putting on a purple window display.
“I’d ask the public to be vigilant on Friday evening and understand that their town is being looked upon at night time and how it behaves at night time.”
• The Purple Flag, which is similar to the Blue Flag for beaches, mean a high standard of excellence for town centres and evening and night time economy. The accreditation process is being conducted this Friday, December 12, from 5pm.