Connemara Dementia Café has scooped a prize in the National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards 2026.
The organisation, which provides support and care throughout rural West Galway, took honours in the the Age Friendly Community Innovation category.
The Connemara Dementia Café aims to reduce isolation and providing aid to groups affected by dementia across rural Connemara. This includes not only people living with dementia, but also to their families and carers who may be affected indirectly by the condition.
“The cafés promote social connection, inclusion, lifelong learning and brain health, while helping to reduce isolation and build more dementia-friendly communities across Connemara,” said Chief Executive of Galway County Council, Liam Conneally.
Many of these café are in the areas of Roundstone and Letterfrack in Connemara, with five new cafes run monthly. These cafes have been established by reusing old buildings to provide the service.
The Connemara Dementia Café Initiative is delivered through a partnership involving Forum Connemara, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Galway County Council, Healthy Ireland, Creative Ireland, Age Friendly Ireland, the HSE and Cairdeas.
Karen Mannion, Chief Executive of Forum Connemara noted that the cafes are not only providing a service in support of people affected by Dementia, but allowing the sharing of knowledge about memory loss to help remove stigmas.
Projects led or supported by Galway County Council received a total of eight nominations at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2026.
The other shortlisted projects are Park Lodge, the 60+ Climate Drive, the Tuam Palace Grounds Sensory Garden and Active Recreation project, Leenane Community Park, the Ballinasloe Multicultural Midsummer Festival, Tiny Mutiny and Scoil an Phiarsaigh 2025.
– By Charlotte Vanacore