Evidence for an Ageing Ireland
Good decisions require good evidence. Whether you’re planning healthcare services, developing workforce strategies, implementing age-friendly communities, or designing products for older consumers, you need to understand what’s actually happening—not rely on assumptions or outdated data.
Críonna Health conducts and commissions research that illuminates the realities of ageing in Ireland. We move organisations from assumptions to evidence, enabling better decisions, more effective interventions, and measurable outcomes.
Our research is rigorous, relevant, and actionable. We don’t produce academic papers that gather dust—we deliver insights that drive change.
[Discuss Your Research Needs →]Why Research Matters
Understanding Changes Everything
Ireland’s ageing population is often discussed in abstract terms: demographic projections, dependency ratios, healthcare cost curves. These numbers have their place, but they miss the texture of lived reality.
What do older Irish adults actually want? Not what policymakers assume they want, or what younger people imagine they’ll want when they’re older—but what real people express when genuinely asked.
What barriers do they face? The official frameworks identify categories (transport, housing, social participation), but the specific barriers in Galway differ from those in Finglas, and understanding these specifics matters for effective action.
What interventions work in Irish contexts? International evidence provides useful signals, but Ireland has particular characteristics—healthcare structures, settlement patterns, cultural dynamics—that affect what works here.
Where are the opportunities others have missed? The “silver economy” is often discussed, but which specific opportunities are most relevant for Irish organisations? Where is unmet demand?
Research answers these questions. It replaces speculation with evidence, enabling better decisions by everyone from policymakers to product developers.
Our Research Areas
Deep Expertise Across Key Domains
Críonna Health has developed research capabilities across the key domains affecting healthy ageing in Ireland:
Workforce and Retirement
Understanding how Ireland’s workers aged 55+ experience employment and navigate the transition to retirement:
- Retirement intentions and preferences — When do older workers want to retire? What would extend their working lives? What shapes their decisions?
- Workplace experiences — How do older workers experience their employment? What supports them? What frustrates them? Where does age discrimination manifest?
- Knowledge and skills — What knowledge do experienced workers hold? How is it transferred—or lost? What skills development do older workers seek?
- Non-financial retirement preparation — How prepared are Irish workers for the non-financial dimensions of retirement? What support do they receive? What do they need?
- Phased retirement — What appetite exists for gradual transition? What models work? What barriers prevent uptake?
- Post-retirement engagement — How do retirees want to remain connected? What roles do they seek? How can organisations maintain relationships?
Why It Matters: Employers making decisions about workforce strategy need evidence on what their workers actually think, want, and need. Generic assumptions lead to generic (and ineffective) responses.
[Discuss Workforce Research →]Health and Wellbeing
Evidence on healthy ageing in Ireland—how older adults maintain health, what challenges they face, and what interventions make a difference:
- Physical activity patterns — How active are older Irish adults? What enables activity? What are the barriers? How do patterns vary by age, geography, and socioeconomic status?
- Mental health and wellbeing — What affects psychological wellbeing in older age? How prevalent is depression and anxiety? What protective factors can be strengthened?
- Social connection and isolation — One in three older Irish adults is lonely. Who is most affected? What interventions reduce isolation? What community factors matter?
- Healthcare access and experience — How do older adults navigate the health system? Where are the friction points? What would improve their experience?
- Technology for health — How do older adults use technology for health management? What works? What barriers prevent adoption?
- Nutrition and lifestyle — What are the nutritional challenges facing older Irish adults? How do lifestyle factors affect healthy ageing?
Why It Matters: Healthcare planners, commissioners, and providers need evidence on population health to design services that actually meet needs. Public health approaches require understanding of what influences health behaviours.
[Discuss Health Research →]Community and Social Participation
Understanding how older adults engage with their communities and what enables or prevents participation:
- Social isolation and loneliness — Who is isolated? What are the pathways into isolation? What interventions effectively reconnect people?
- Volunteering and civic participation — Older adults are the backbone of Irish volunteering. What motivates them? What would increase participation? What barriers exist?
- Transport and mobility — Transport is consistently identified as a barrier to participation. What are the specific challenges in different areas? What solutions work?
- Housing and neighbourhood — How does housing affect healthy ageing? What adaptations enable ageing in place? How do neighbourhood characteristics matter?
- Intergenerational relationships — How do generations connect in modern Ireland? What strengthens intergenerational bonds? What programmes work?
- Rural ageing — Rural Ireland faces particular challenges. What are the specific dynamics of ageing in rural communities? What approaches address rural isolation?
Why It Matters: Local authorities, community organisations, and Age Friendly programmes need evidence on their specific communities to design effective interventions. National data rarely reveals local realities.
[Discuss Community Research →]Digital Inclusion
Understanding older adults’ relationships with technology and what enables genuine digital inclusion:
- Access and skills — Who is digitally excluded? What characterises the 40% of over-65s who’ve never used the internet? What skills gaps exist among those who do go online?
- Barriers to adoption — Beyond access, what prevents older adults from embracing digital? Anxiety? Lack of relevance? Poor design? Trust concerns?
- What works in digital inclusion — Which programmes successfully support digital adoption? What approaches fail? What conditions enable success?
- Service design for older users — How do older adults actually use digital services? Where do they struggle? What design features help or hinder?
- Emerging technology attitudes — How do older adults view emerging technologies—AI, voice assistants, smart home devices? What shapes acceptance or resistance?
Why It Matters: Digital service providers and policymakers pushing digital transformation need to understand the realities of digital exclusion. Blanket assumptions about what older adults can or will do with technology lead to failed initiatives.
[Discuss Digital Research →]Economic Contribution
Quantifying the value that older adults bring to Irish society and economy:
- Spending and consumer behaviour — What do older Irish adults spend their money on? Where is demand growing? What are the characteristics of the Irish “silver economy”?
- Caregiving contribution — Family carers, predominantly older adults, provide an estimated €3.5 billion in unpaid care annually. What are the dynamics of this contribution? What supports do carers need?
- Volunteering value — Older adults volunteer at higher rates than any age group. What is the economic value of this contribution? How can it be sustained?
- Employment participation — Many older adults want to work longer. What is the potential economic contribution of increased employment participation?
- Innovation and entrepreneurship — Older entrepreneurs exist—what characterises them? What barriers do they face? What support would enable more?
Why It Matters: Challenging deficit narratives about ageing requires evidence of contribution. Policymakers need data on the economic implications of different policy choices. Businesses need market intelligence.
[Discuss Economic Research →]Research Services
Tailored to Your Questions
We offer a range of research services, scalable from small studies to major programmes:
Commissioned Research
You have questions. We design and conduct research to answer them. From focused qualitative studies to large-scale surveys, we deliver rigorous, actionable insights tailored to your specific needs.
Our Capabilities Include:
Survey Research
Design, administration, and analysis of surveys—from small targeted studies to nationally representative samples. Online, telephone, postal, and face-to-face methodologies. Statistical analysis and clear reporting.
Qualitative Research
In-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observation, and other qualitative approaches that reveal the texture of experience beyond what numbers can capture. Thematic analysis with practical implications.
Mixed Methods
Combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide both breadth and depth—understanding not just what is happening but why.
Secondary Data Analysis
Ireland has rich existing data sources—CSO, TILDA, HSE datasets, and more. We analyse existing data to extract insights relevant to your questions, often more cost-effectively than primary research.
Literature Reviews
Systematic or rapid reviews of existing evidence on specific topics, synthesising what is known and identifying gaps. Particularly valuable when international evidence needs to be assessed for Irish relevance.
Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Rigorous assessment of programmes and interventions—did they work? For whom? Under what conditions? We design evaluation frameworks and conduct both process and outcome evaluation.
[Request a Research Proposal →]Insights Partnerships
For organisations committed to evidence-based decision making, we offer ongoing research partnerships that track change over time and inform strategy continuously.
Partnership Elements May Include:
- Regular workforce or customer surveys tracking key metrics
- Periodic qualitative research exploring emerging themes
- Benchmarking against national and sector data
- Dashboard reporting of research findings
- Strategic interpretation sessions with leadership
- Priority access to Críonna Health research outputs
Partnerships are structured around your ongoing intelligence needs, with research planned and budgeted over multi-year periods.
[Discuss Partnership Options →]Research Translation
You have research, but aren’t sure how to act on it. Academic studies, internal surveys, or external reports sit unused because the path from finding to action isn’t clear.
We help translate existing research into practical recommendations your organisation can implement:
- Synthesis of findings across multiple sources
- Identification of actionable insights
- Development of recommendations tailored to your capacity
- Implementation planning support
Particularly valuable for:
- Local authorities with Age Friendly baseline data seeking to develop action plans
- Organisations that have commissioned research but need help translating findings
- Anyone drowning in data but starved of insight
Data and Analytics
Making Sense of What You Have
Many organisations collect data about older adults but struggle to extract meaningful insights. Data sits in silos. Analysis is superficial. Potential insights remain hidden.
Our Data and Analytics Services:
Workforce Analytics
Analysis of HR data to understand workforce demographics, retirement patterns, turnover risks, and longevity opportunities. We help you see your own data clearly.
Customer/Service User Analytics
Analysis of customer or service user data to understand age profiles, needs patterns, and service utilisation. Particularly valuable for healthcare providers and service organisations.
Benchmarking
Comparison of your data against national statistics, sector benchmarks, or peer organisations. Understanding where you stand relative to others enables targeted improvement.
Dashboard Development
Creation of ongoing reporting tools that present key metrics clearly, enabling monitoring and decision-making without repeated analysis.
Predictive Analysis
Where data supports it, modelling of future scenarios—retirement waves, demand changes, population shifts—to support planning.
[Discuss Analytics Needs →]Publications
Sharing What We Learn
We believe in open knowledge. Research conducted with public interest in mind should benefit the public. Our research is published and shared to benefit the wider sector.
Publication Types:
- Research Reports — Full findings from major research studies
- Briefing Papers — Concise summaries of evidence on specific topics
- Data Releases — Selected data for public use and secondary analysis
- Blog Posts — Accessible commentary on research findings and implications
Publication programme launching 2025. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
[Subscribe to Research Updates →]Academic Partnerships
We collaborate with Irish and international universities to ensure our research meets the highest standards. Academic partnerships bring methodological rigour, peer review, and access to broader research communities.
Current and recent collaborations include work with:
- Leading gerontology and public health researchers in Irish universities
- International networks focused on healthy ageing and age-friendly communities
- Research centres with complementary expertise
Interested in collaboration? We welcome approaches from academic researchers seeking practice partners, co-investigators, or pathways to impact.
[Contact Our Research Team →]Research Ethics
Rigour and Responsibility
Research with older adults requires particular ethical attention. Vulnerable individuals may be among participants. Power dynamics matter. Consent must be genuinely informed.
Our Ethical Commitments:
- All research involving human participants receives ethics review
- We follow established ethical guidelines for research with older adults
- Participants receive clear information and provide informed consent
- We protect privacy and handle data in line with GDPR
- We report findings honestly, including inconvenient results
- We ensure research genuinely serves participants, not just commissioners
Commission Research
Have Questions About Ageing in Ireland?
Whether you need a rapid evidence review or a comprehensive multi-year study, we can design research that delivers the answers you need.
Get Started:
1. Initial Conversation — Tell us what you need to understand. We’ll ask questions to clarify scope and approach.
2. Proposal Development — We develop a detailed proposal including methodology, timeline, outputs, and investment.
3. Research Delivery — We conduct the research, keeping you informed throughout and adjusting as needed.
4. Insight Delivery — We deliver findings in formats useful to you—reports, presentations, briefings, workshops—with clear implications for action.
[Contact Our Research Team]Críonna Health
Dublin, Ireland [email protected]
