Cllr. Tommy Guilfoyle, Mayor of Ennis and Chair of Ennis Purple Flag Working Group, Siobhan O’Keeffe (Nora Culligans), Dolores Meaney (Library Services), Margaret Whitworth (Ennis Chamber), Garda Irene O’Flynn, Hugh McGrath (Clare County Council – Ennis MD), Niamh O’Connor (Clare County Council – Ennis MD), Jean O’Keeffe, Clare Youth Services and Margaret O’Brien, Ennis Chamber. Photograph: Eamon Ward.
ENNIS has retained its Purple Flag recognition with the addition of a new library and gallery heralded as key successes in the town’s submission.
In 2013, Ennis became the first town in Ireland to achieve Purple Flag accreditation when it successfully underwent a rigorous assessment, the status has been retained ever-since.
Launched in 2012, the Purple Flag is an accreditation process similar to the Green Flag award for parks and the Blue Flag for beaches. It allows members of the public to quickly identify town and city centres that offer an entertaining, diverse, safe and enjoyable night out.
Following an overnight assessment lasting from 5pm to 5am, assessors approved the retention of the Purple Flag for Ennis. The assessors had full disclosure to crime stats for the past three years and liaised closely with Gardaí on the overnight assessment.
Purple Flag aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am. The award highlights Ennis’s blend of entertainment, dining and culture, all while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors in the evening and night-time economy.
According to a spokesperson for the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM), “Key successes in Ennis’s submission include the fantastic offering through the De Valera County Library and Súil Gallery, which opened in late 2024, alongside Glór, a brilliant concert and events venue. Ennis should also be praised for its combination of historic character, traditional music, cultural venues, public spaces and active streets which create an inviting evening experience”.
Two satellite areas were added to the Purple Flag offering in Ennis this year, the Clare Youth Service with centres on Carmody Street and The Junction in Cloughleigh plus the addition of John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Rd.
Chair of the Ennis Purple Flag committee and Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) stated, “Sometimes we take what we have for granted, seeing the remarkable service provided by committed youth workers and the world class amenities at Less Road through new eyes, made us all re-appraise and fully appreciate what we have in our community”.
CEO of Ennis Chamber, Margaret O’Brien has co-ordinated the Ennis Purple Flag assessments over the last eight years. During this time, she noted, “like all towns and cities, the nighttime economy in Ennis has undergone significant change. Late-night gyms are likely to be as busy as pubs, and many of those have closed over that time. While we can’t control a change in habits and preferences the businesses in Ennis can cater for changing tastes. There’s a real opportunity to continue our daytime economy into our nighttime economy and thankfully some businesses in Ennis have already risen to meet that opportunity.
“For example, Kaiféin, the coffeehouse on the corner of The Queens Hotel opens late until 9pm at weekends, while The Well Café, O’Connell Street offers a series of evening time events across the year, including a regular bookclub, fashion shows and seasonal supper club. We need more of these sorts of initiatives to drive footfall into the evening time,” she added.
Ennis is one of nine areas receiving a Full Renewal accreditation across the island of Ireland, with eight areas receiving an Interim Renewal accreditation, so far this year.
There are 100 Purple Flag destinations around the globe, across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Malta, New Zealand and Australia. Purple Flag has represented the gold standard of evening and night-time economy management for 16 years.
