Small town's secret of long life

Men in NI can expect to live slightly longer than their southern counterparts

People living in Ballymoney can expect to live longer than anyone else on the island of Ireland, a survey has found.

That is one of the findings of a study into health and social care indicators in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The findings were part of research conducted by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

People living in Ballymoney can expect to reach an average age of 78.1 for men, while women can expect to live for an average of 82.4 years.

The average life expectancy for Northern Ireland was 75.9 years for men and 80.6 years for women.

It also found that men living in Belfast had the shortest life-expectancy, at 73.5 years; while Londonderry had the lowest life expectancy for women at 79.3 years.

Life expectancy was 75.5 years for men and 80.6 years for women in the Republic of Ireland. Men and women living in Roscommon can expect with live the longest south of the border, with an average life expectancy of 76.9 and 82.2 years respectively.

Health planners

Institute director Kevin Balanda said the information would be used to compare differences in health across Ireland.

"It will help health planners tailor services to meet local needs," he said.

"This data allows people to look at the health situation in their own county or in their own local government district," he said.

"We are beginning to build a picture of health at the local level allowing people and planners to see how they compare with others in their jurisdiction and across the island.

"These data-sets highlight many differences in health and well-being across the island, and we hope will stimulate interest in why this is so, and what can be learnt from other areas that face similar issues."