Nine days of exhibitions, dances and parties celebrating older people got underway today.
The sixth annual Positive Ageing Week, which was opened by the President Mrs McAleese, aims to show how positive the period, known as 'old-age' really can be.
Over 650 events will take place across the State.
Mrs McAleese said people were living a lot longer and were in general a lot stronger and healthier than their counterparts in years gone by.
There was scope for huge potential after retirement age.
She also said the older generation could teach younger ones a thing or two about coping with an economic downturn.
"They know a lot about adversity and hardship, about self-sacrifice and mending and making do.
"They also hear the worried and disappointed voices of a new generation facing serious economic difficulties for the first time and the wisdom, resilience, self-sufficiency and success stories of our older citizens distil into a valuable well from which to draw courage and inspiration. If ever there was a time for age action, this is surely it," she said.
The week is organised by Age Action and sponsored by ESB Customer Supply.
Ten towns are holding events for the week: Arklow, Co Wicklow, Athy, Co Kildare, Drogheda, Co Louth, Boyle, Co Roscommon, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, Midleton Co Cork, Tullamore Co Offaly as well as Galway, Sligo and Dublin.
