Either local residents have discovered the secret of eternal life, or there’s definitely something in the (rain) water in Northern Ireland town these days.

According to a survey carried out by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, people living in Ballymoney have the longest life expectancy in Ireland.

Their quality of life is so high that Ballymoney men can expect to reach an average age of 78.1 years; while women live, on average, to the grand old age of 82.4. These figures are considerably higher than the average life expectancy for the whole of Northern Ireland, which stands at 75.9 years for men, and 80.6 years for women.

But is it the area’s relaxed lifestyle, its abundance of fresh air, or its stress-free environment which makes Ballymoney so life-prolonging? We asked local residents to comment on their own enviable agelessness.

New Zealander Albert Thompson (81), who lived in Ballymoney until the age of 21, and his wife Jocelyn (80), say that the laid-back town always offers them a warm welcome when they come to visit.

“We get treated so well here that we’ve come back eight times in the past 60 years — the hospitality is wonderful and I can see how this contributes to the residents’ quality of life,” Mr Thompson said.

Elizabeth Johnston, Head of Corporate Services and Development at the Ballymoney Borough Council, says that the town’s residents are renowned for their positive attitude, which encourages a peaceful way of life.

“It’s a friendly place known throughout Northern Ireland for its friendliness,” she said.

Ballymoney celebrity Liam Beckett, former manager of Ballymoney United, Cliftonville and Institute FC, puts the locals’ love for living down to “good community spirit” and the excellent leisure and recreational amenities provided by the Borough Council.

“It’s not the biggest country town and everybody knows everybody,” he said. “There’s no sectarianism or disagreement to release stress factors into the community, and people here love exercise — so that helps them live longer too.”

Dan Fleming (83), a golden oldie athletics champion who still walks six or seven miles every day, is a perfect example of the vitality of Ballymoney’s elderly population.

Mr Fleming explains that Ballymoney offers impressive health services to elderly people like himself, and believes that this explains its residents’ age-defying reputation.

“I can’t think of anywhere in Northern Ireland where there are so many care homes,” he said. “The local community really do look after the older residents here — some people say that there are almost too many coffee shops and the like aimed at us.”

If that elixir of life’s still eluding you, maybe it’s time to make a move to Ballymoney. It sounds like they’ve got the ageing process down to a tea.