One of the great success stories of modern times is the increasing number of people living into old age. This triumph is also one of our greatest challenges...

The Irish LongituDinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) was launched by Minister for Health Mary Harney in November 2006 to study a representative cohort of at least 8,000 people, aged 50 and over and resident in Ireland, charting their health, social and economic circumstances over a 10-year period.

The study is being carried out by Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with an inter-disciplinary panel of scientific researchers, with expertise in various fields of ageing, from Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT), Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), University College Cork (UCC), University College Dublin (UCD) and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

A group of international scientists advises the TILDA investigators. Funding has been provided by the Department of Health and Children, Irish Life and the Atlantic Philanthropies.