Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards open for submissions

  

The call for submissions to the 2026 National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement awards is now live and the closing date is 29th May 2026.

Age Friendly Ireland is now open for applications to the National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards 2026. Each year a local authority hosts the awards event, and this year Limerick City and County Council are hosting this year’s event in The Limerick Strand Hotel on Thursday, October 8th, 2026.

 

This year there are ten categories of awards, aligning to the 8 World Health Organisation (WHO) Age Friendly Themes:

• Community Support and Health Services
• Civic Participation and Employment
• Communication and Information
• Social Participation
• Respect and Social Inclusion
• Housing
• Transportation
• Outdoor spaces and buildings

 

Projects from across this range of areas that have real impact on the lives of older people and have the potential to be showcased and replicated are welcome to submit an entry. Initiatives at both local and national level are encouraged to enter.

Shortlisted projects will be visited by the judging panel over a 3-week period, from July 20th to August 7th inclusive, and invited to Ireland’s Age Friendly Recognition and Achievements Awards ceremony in Limerick in October. It is important to be aware when submitting a project, that you must be available for a judges visit during the period mentioned.

Please note, a project should only be submitted under one category. Where possible, please submit some video footage of your project.

 

 

If you are involved with any project that fit the criteria, please feel free to submit an entry at the following link Awards 2026 | Age Friendly Ireland

 

Cork County Council Property Activation and Town Regeneration Roadshow Clinics

 

Cork County Council is hosting a series of drop-in roadshow clinics throughout the month of May, providing practical advice and support to those interested in bringing vacant and under-utilised properties back into productive use.

The Property Activation and Town Regeneration Roadshow is designed to engage directly with property owners, business owners, builders and technical professionals who have an interest in reusing and revitalising surplus buildings. This includes spaces over shops, behind commercial premises, or entire vacant or under-used properties in towns and villages across the county.

The roadshows will showcase the wide range of supports available to assist in bringing vacant properties back into use. Information and guidance will be provided on:

• The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme (Croí Cónaithe)
• The new Vacant Over the Shop Grant Scheme
• The Buy and Renew Scheme
• The Repair and Lease Scheme
• Conservation guidance for protected structures and historic buildings
• Planning requirements and advice
• Fire and Building Control Requirements

In addition to scheme-specific information, attendees can seek advice on general queries relating to the reuse of vacant and under-utilised town centre properties.?

Location	Date
Commodore Hotel, Cobh	Thursday May 14th4pm – 8pm
Walter Raleigh, Youghal	Monday May 18th4pm – 8pm
Castle Hotel, Macroom	Tuesday May 19th4pm – 8pm
West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen	Weds May 20th    4pm – 8pm
Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown	Thursday May 21st 4 - 8pm
West Lodge Hotel, Bantry	Monday May 25th 4 – 8pm
Carrigaline Court Hotel, Carrigaline	Tuesday May 26th 4pm – 8pm
Hibernian Hotel,  Mallow	Tuesday May 26th 4 -8pm
Munster Arms Hotel, Bandon	Wednesday May 27th 2026 4pm – 8pm
Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville	Thursday May 28th 4 - 8pm

Webinar on Atlantic Ecological Sensitivity Analysis

 

Dear stakeholders,

We would like to invite you to a webinar on “Atlantic Ecological Sensitivity Analysis: Features List Updates and Looking Towards Modelling” which is scheduled to take place on Thursday 21 May 2026 from 14:00-15:00.

This webinar will provide stakeholders with an overview of progress to date in the Atlantic Area Ecological Sensitivity Analysis 2026 and outline the next stages of the work programme. The session will begin with a brief introduction to the Department’s ongoing work in marine protection. Presentations will then summarise developments in the ecological features list and associated analysis work, alongside reflections on recent stakeholder workshops and key themes emerging from participant feedback. The webinar will conclude by looking ahead to the next phase of modelling and stakeholder engagement planned for summer and autumn, including an outline of how stakeholders may be involved in forthcoming workshops and preparatory activities. Time will also be reserved for questions, discussion, and feedback from participants.

You can register for the event here https://universityofgalway-ie.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1JXBekMFSQWvAujVC3YpWw and will then receive a meeting link by email.

We look forward to seeing you on 21 May.

Kind regards,

MPA LIFE team, DCEE 

Invitation to Housing & Homeless Services Legal Education Day

 The Mercy Law Resource Centre would like to invite you to attend a special legal education morning on June 4, organised for housing and homeless services in Cork city and county, and hosted by the Centre for Criminal Justice & Human Rights, UCC.

The event will begin with a workshop led by Mercy Law solicitors, examining common legal issues experienced by persons seeking access to social housing and homeless services, along with practical tools to address these challenges. This will be followed by roundtable discussions focused on knowledge sharing among frontline services. Attendees will also receive a toolkit containing useful guidance and templates to support future advocacy.

This free event is expected to be of benefit to those working in frontline roles across areas such as housing, Traveller rights, domestic violence, migrant rights, public health, advocacy, and related fields.

To encourage strong attendance, recipients are welcome to share this invitation within their organisation as appropriate.

DATE/TIME:
June 4, 2026
Start: 10:30am sharp
Finish: 1:00pm

LOCATION:
Room G-18, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork (available on Google Maps).

Travel Details:
The Western Gateway Building can be accessed via the 208 bus. Blue badge parking is available at the building, and there is a pay-and-display car park across the road at the Sacred Heart Church Car Park.

PLEASE RSVP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE HERE

For any queries, please get in touch. The Mercy Law Resource Centre looks forward to welcoming attendees.

Mercy Law Resource Centre

Best regards,

Noelle Nally | PPN Support & Development Worker | Cork County PPN
Community, Tourism & Rural Development
Cork County Council | Cork | T12 R2NC Ireland
T (021) 4285265 | M +353 860597563
Noelle.Nally@corkcoco.ie
Cork County PPN | Public Participation Network

Reminder closing Date for Pride in our Community is June 1st 2026

 

Cork County Council Launches Survey to Determine Demand for Affordable Housing

 

Cork County Council has launched an online survey to help determine the level of demand for affordable housing across the county. The information collected will help the Council plan future affordable housing schemes and decide eligibility requirements.

The survey is aimed at first‑time buyers and other people who believe they may be eligible to buy an affordable home. It is available at the link below and will remain open for six weeks.

Participants are asked to provide details such as income levels, family size, disability status and other relevant information. The data gathered will be used by Cork County Council to build a clearer picture of affordable housing need and to support informed decision-making on the scale, design and location of future developments.

Cork County Council is actively progressing the delivery of homes for affordable purchase at a number of locations under the Government’s Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 plan. These schemes are intended to support people on low to moderate incomes to purchase their own homes.

The Affordable Purchase Scheme is open to eligible first-time buyers and Fresh Start applicants who meet certain income, property and residency criteria. Fresh Start applies to people that have previously owned a home, but who no longer have a financial interest in that home, due to significant life changes, such as separation, divorce, bankruptcy or insolvency.

The survey is for information-gathering purposes only and there will be no follow-up correspondence with respondents once it has closed. All data will be collected and retained in full compliance with Cork County Council’s Data Protection Policy and GDPR requirements.

The survey is now available at the link below and will be open for six weeks

https://www.yourcouncil.ie/service/Affordable_Housing_Survey_in_Cork_County

CORK COUNTY COUNCIL REQUIRES Assistant Manager - Camden Fort Meagher (26/038) General Manager - Camden Fort Meagher (26/039)

 

CORK COUNTY COUNCIL REQUIRES Assistant Manager - Camden Fort Meagher (26/038) General Manager - Camden Fort Meagher (26/039)               Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 4pm on Friday, 29th May 2026. Further details and application forms for the above posts are available on the careers’ section of the website: www.corkcoco.ie; or by e-mailing: recruitment@corkcoco.ie   CORK COUNTY COUNCIL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER   TÁ COMHAIRLE CONTAE CHORCAÍ  AG LORG Bainisteoir Cúnta - Dún Camden Uí Mheachair (26/038) Bainisteoir Ginearálta - Dún Camden Uí Mheachair (26/039)             Ní foláir foirmeacha iarratais chomhlánaithe a chur isteach roimh 16:00 iarnóin De hAoine, 29ú Mí na Bealtaine, 2026. Tá foirmeacha iarratais agus tuilleadh eolais ar fáil anseo - www.corkcoco.ie; nó trí ríomhhost a chur chun: recruitment@corkcoco.ie  IS FOSTÓIR COMHIONANNAS DEISEANNA Í COMHAIRLE CONTAE CHORCAÍ