Age and the City RTE RADIO Saturday 5th May 7PM
Loopline do not usually do radio posts but we make an exception here as Nan Merry the mother of Loopline Director Sé Merry Doyle features in this new radio series that gives a powerful insight into the subject of ageing in the city. Nan Merry was born in the Liberties and has a powerful back story of growing up in a tight knit community during tough times.The series is produced by the acclaimed actress and storyteller Nuala Hayes who has collaborated with Nan Merry on a previous RTE series on ageing issues. Loopline wishes Nuala and RTE great success in this important endeavor.
Press release: AGE AND THE CITY: A 4-part radio series on growing old in the city
Age and the City is a four-part radio series which will bring the subject of ageing in the city to life, through a mix of personal stories told by older people, with some analysis and discussion of the main issues facing our ageing society.
The population of Ireland is ageing fast. At the moment 11% of us are between the ages of 60 and 74. Predictions based on recent census figures show that in 20 years time, that will have gone up to at least 17%. By 2041, Ireland will have at least 1.3 million people aged over 65, with a fourfold increase in those over 80. A considerable number of these people will live in our cities.
In this special month of Bealtaine, when the creative activities of older people are being celebrated, we will hear from men and women in Dublin, Belfast and Cork about the challenges they face as they grow older in an urban environment, and about the advantages and disadvantages of city living. We will hear how our cities are preparing to meet the needs of older citizens and about the WHO Age-Friendly Cities initiative, whose recommendations are already being put in place by several local authorities. Transport and mobility, housing arrangements, health and creativity are among the many topics for discussion in the series.
Some of the participants are well-known: former Supreme Court Judge Catherine McGuinness, for example, or former Keeper of Marsh’s library, Muriel McCarthy. Many others, though not in the public eye, have equally interesting and engaging contributions to make to the series.
The programmes are not just for older listeners. It’s just as important for younger people to appreciate and understand what older people need and what they have to offer. A well-supported older population whose creativity and wisdom is valued by all will make for a richer society for everyone.
The series producer is independent radio producer Doireann Ní Bhriain. “I’m getting older myself too”, she says, “and I keep meeting older people whose energy and creativity inspires me. When I heard about the Age-Friendly Cities initiative, I thought it would be interesting to find out more, and to combine that with a reflection of how older people who live in cities perceive their own lives and their future needs. The Bealtaine festival, celebrating creativity in older age seemed the perfect time to broadcast it”. Nuala Hayes, recently seen portraying the life of Frankie Byrne in theatres around Ireland, and who has done a lot of interesting creative work with older people, is the reporter on the series. Age and the City is on RTE Radio 1 on Saturdays at 7pm, beginning on Saturday May 5th .
RTE Radio ‘Age and the City’ features Nan Merry
Age and the City RTE RADIO Saturday 5th May 7PM
Press release: AGE AND THE CITY: A 4-part radio series on growing old in the city
Age and the City is a four-part radio series which will bring the subject of ageing in the city to life, through a mix of personal stories told by older people, with some analysis and discussion of the main issues facing our ageing society.
In this special month of Bealtaine, when the creative activities of older people are being celebrated, we will hear from men and women in Dublin, Belfast and Cork about the challenges they face as they grow older in an urban environment, and about the advantages and disadvantages of city living. We will hear how our cities are preparing to meet the needs of older citizens and about the WHO Age-Friendly Cities initiative, whose recommendations are already being put in place by several local authorities. Transport and mobility, housing arrangements, health and creativity are among the many topics for discussion in the series.
Some of the participants are well-known: former Supreme Court Judge Catherine McGuinness, for example, or former Keeper of Marsh’s library, Muriel McCarthy. Many others, though not in the public eye, have equally interesting and engaging contributions to make to the series.
The series producer is independent radio producer Doireann Ní Bhriain. “I’m getting older myself too”, she says, “and I keep meeting older people whose energy and creativity inspires me. When I heard about the Age-Friendly Cities initiative, I thought it would be interesting to find out more, and to combine that with a reflection of how older people who live in cities perceive their own lives and their future needs. The Bealtaine festival, celebrating creativity in older age seemed the perfect time to broadcast it”. Nuala Hayes, recently seen portraying the life of Frankie Byrne in theatres around Ireland, and who has done a lot of interesting creative work with older people, is the reporter on the series. Age and the City is on RTE Radio 1 on Saturdays at 7pm, beginning on Saturday May 5th .