GAA and TILDA host ‘How to Age Well’ webinar featuring Mícheal Ó Muircheartaigh

Those in the GAA missing the unmistakable tones and tales of Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh are in for a treat next Tuesday 19^th of May 6.30-7.30pm when the broadcasting legend contributes to a special webinar on wellbeing on the topic of ‘How to Age Well’.

The event is part of a series of wellbeing-focused webinars delivered by the GAA’s Community & Health department during the Covid-19 emergency. The latest instalment features a partnership with Trinity College’s and will include a presentation and contributions by Prof Rose Anne Kenny, lead researcher on the TILDA project (the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing). Both the GAA’s Healthy Club Project and TILDA benefit from CSR support from Irish Life.

Prior to Covid-19, TILDA and the Community & Health department, supported by the GAA’s respective County Health & Wellbeing Committees, delivered live seminars on ‘How to Age Well’ to thousands of attendees in counties Longford, Mayo, Donegal, Cork, Limerick, Kerry, and Wexford.

The Covid-19 emergency has caused those planned for Louth, Galway, and Kildare to be postponed, but thanks to the wonders of technology, this live webinar broadcast on the Microsoft Teams platform will bring this valuable research and discussion into hundreds of homes across the 32 counties.

Mícheál will touch on his personal philosophy and approach to health – one that has seen him remain hale and hearty into his 90^th year. Prof Kenny will present some of the key findings of TILDA’s 10-year Irish research while also highlighting evidence-based lifestyle practices from the world’s ‘Blue Zones’, regions with the globe’s oldest populations and some of highest levels of life satisfaction.

GAA President John Horan said: “The GAA is proud to represent every age demographic in Ireland. This webinar is not just for GAA members, it is are for anyone in the community that is interested in ageing well. Irish Life is a long-standing CSR partner of the GAA Healthy Club Project, and we’re delighted to broaden that relationship through this collaboration with TILDA.”

Prof. Rose Anne Kenny said: “TILDA is one of the most important research studies in Ireland which helps to better understand why bodies and brains age and how we can best ensure long and prosperous lives, for today’s adults and for future generations. This unique partnership with the GAA ensures that new research from TILDA and other international studies is quickly communicated to all age groups. As a research institution we are very excited about taking this new knowledge out to the Irish people.”

David Harney, CEO Irish Life, said: “Our commitment at Irish Life is to make every community in Ireland healthier, and that commitment extends across all life-stages. With life expectancy in Ireland at 81 years, we want to ensure that people fully enjoy the years approaching and beyond retirement.

“We have been a long-term supporter of TILDA and their vision of making Ireland the best place in the world to grow old. I believe that the GAA’s support of the ‘How to Age Well’ seminar series will bring valuable healthcare information to the wider community and help people of all ages, but particularly those over 50, to embrace change in their physical, emotional, and social lives.”

Ageing starts the day we are born therefore the content of the webinar is relevant to everyone who wishes to age well regardless of their chronological age. However, the partners involved would particularly like as many older adults as possible to enjoy this event and are encouraging young GAA members to assist older relatives to access this session while maintaining social distancing recommendations.

You can access the webinar by clinking on the join webinar link below:

JOIN MICROSOFT TEAMS WEBINAR

For more information contact:
Colin Regan, GAA Community & Health manager on colin.regan@gaa.ie

Prof Rose Anne Kenny, Principal Investigator, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin on rkenny@tcd.ie

For those who cannot attend on Tuesday you can access the recording after on GAA YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/officialgaa and GAA Facebook https://www.facebook.com/officialgaa