The OPW awarded Grand Prix at prestigious EU Heritage Awards

Source: Government of Ireland

OPW Chairman, John Conlon said, “This award is an important acknowledgement not only of the OPW’s leadership in the heritage sector, but also of Ireland’s contribution to climate innovation at European level.

The success of this initiative shows how public bodies can lead by example in developing practical, scalable solutions that protect our cultural inheritance while responding to the environmental challenges of our time.”

The winners were celebrated at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony 2026 on 28 May 2026 at the Municipal Theatre of Nicosia, Cyprus.

The winning projects were confirmed on the Europa Nostra website here.

The awards ceremony gathered some 500 heritage professionals, volunteers, enthusiasts and supporters from across Europe and beyond.

Organised by Europa Nostra – the leading European heritage civil society network – and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, the Awards Ceremony was the largest event of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026, which is being held from 26 to 30 May in Nicosia under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.

For further information about the OPW initiative (including a video), see the OPW dedicated page on this Europa Nostra link.

OPW spokespersons are available for interview upon request. Please contact pressoffice@opw.ie for more information and to arrange an interview.

NOTES:

The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards are regarded as Europe’s most prestigious awards in the field of cultural heritage. Each year, these awards recognise exemplary achievements in conservation, research, education and awareness, with winners selected by an international jury of heritage experts.

In 2026, the OPW’s initiative was chosen by the Awards’ Jury from among 261 eligible applications submitted by organisations and individuals from 40 European countries, highlighting its significance and impact within the sector.

This initiative was delivered by bringing together the expertise within the OPW and specialists in the private sector with the following contributors; Trinomics; Shaffrey Architects; Passivate Building Energy Consulting; ARUP Engineering; Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

It was co-funded by the European Union via the EU Structural Reform Support Technical Support Instrument (TSI).

The initiative was first launched in 2021 when the OPW developed practical steps around how to address the complex challenge of enhancing energy efficiency in these unique properties without losing any of the heritage value.

A guidance document called ’OPW Approaches to Improving the Energy Performance of Heritage Properties in State Care’ was developed along with six case studies covering a range of heritage building types.

In 2025, the initiative which was co-funded by the European Union culminated in a three-day training programme, attended by over 400 stakeholders from across the public sector.

This training, was delivered by 35 leading Irish and international experts, and was designed to upskill and empower public sector professionals to commission and design sensitive, effective and innovative energy improvement works for heritage properties. These resources and training are now also available to the general public online on the OPW website by using this link.

The Office of Public Works (OPW)

The OPW provides accommodation for Government Services and manages much of the State’s property portfolio.

It cares for 780 heritage sites, including national monuments, historic parks, gardens and buildings. It is the Government’s principal engineering agency, providing an engineering service to the Flood Risk Management and Estate Portfolio Management functions of the OPW as well as to other Government Departments.