Great news
Ireland to be recognised as one of world’s best places to grow old
I am so happy for me! What good fortune to live in an Old Fart friendly place. The only problem is that I haven’t a fucking clue what they’re on about.
I have this image in my head of bowling greens and bridge clubs in every village along with coffee shops and pubs with signs saying you have to be over 65 to enter. You may be surprised to hear that this isn’t so. The only bowling green I know of is about ten miles away. The coffee shop does indeed exist but they don’t have any age limits so far as I know,
Representatives of the State’s 31 local authorities will receive charters from the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledging that each has taken part in an age-friendly programme in partnership with stakeholders from the public, business and community/non-government sectors.
Ah! A chance for a junket for our counsellors [at tax payers’ expense] to have a jolly old knees up and a few pints. I wonder just how many of them will be pensioners?
Ireland’s population has steadily been getting older steadily since the 1980s with the over-65 age group increasing by 19 per cent between 2011 and 2016.
Now this is a bit of a shock. People are getting older? I thought ageing was something common to all from birth? But apparently our over 65s are steadily [steadily] getting older more than everyone else? It confirms my suspicions though that time is passing a lot faster than it used to.
Key milestones in that time have included developing age-friendly facilities such as housing developments, libraries, airport guidelines, car parking, improving the public realm to benefit people during older age as well as improving customer service and communication with older people.
The only housing developments around here discriminate according to bank balances. You’d have to be a fucking millionaire to buy one.
We do have a library and indeed it is excellent [which reminds me – my books are overdue again]. They have never mentioned age though. More often than not it’s full of kids from the school across from the road which is a heart warming sight.
The airport guidelines one is a tad confusing. I don’t know of any signs [or guidelines] in the entire county. I know there are no airports around though I do hear the odd jet passing high overhead.
Car parking? That’s a free for all and always has been. First come, first served and if you miss out on a spot then tough shit. Now if they made the village parking available only for us Oldies that would be nice……
I don’t even know what the Public Realm is, but I’m happy for it.
Alana Officer, senior adviser on ageing at the WHO, will be welcomed to Slane Castle by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who is expected to commend the local authorities for delivering age-friendly policies and practices.
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty; Minister of State for Housing Damien English; Minster of State for Older People Jim Daly; Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee and Meath Co Council cathaoirleach Wayne Harding will also be in attendance.
Sound like a right bit of craic.
I wonder if any Wrinklies are invited?
Saying, "Aren't you glad you're old?", just doesn't sound right. So as to your very last question of your post…
Alana Officer: Okay looking but not exactly "old". No age info given but I'll say late 40s, early 50s.
Regina Doherty: With a name like that you might be forgiven if you thought she was an old "Wrinkly" but she isn't. A rather pleasant looking woman, not young but most definitely not old (48).
Damien English: Nope, not old either (41).
Jim Daly: Closer but still no cigar (58). He's also an Evangelist. Don't know if that means anything.
Helen McEntee: An almost young'un (33) for heavens sake. Good lookin' too.
Wayne Harding: Can't really find anything on this guy so it's up in the air as to whether he's a Wrinkly or not. One can always hope?
Funny how all these "not old" people are supposed to be experts on what it means to be old isn't it?
I'll have to take you on as Researcher [in Chief]. Of course all officials know what's best for me. The general population [and Oldies in particular] don't know how to look after ourselves so we have to be "minded" by the State.
Which, of course, begs the question as to how have you managed to survive so far?
Researcher in Chief? I like it. Do I get my own office with it?
Sickening aren't they. Whiny goverment employees entertaining other whiny government employees for doing a job they have been paid to do all at some fucker elese's expense.
I'm sick of this shite. If there is such a thing as an asteroid with earth and have this motherfuckers written on its side in white paint it needs to get a wiggle on.