The OPW awarded Grand Prix at prestigious EU Heritage Awards

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to announce it has been awarded a Grand Prix at the prestigious European Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards 2026 for its training programme to improve energy efficiency in Heritage properties.

The European Commission and Europa Nostra presented five projects with the Grand Prix and one winner with the Public Choice Award for 2026 at the awards ceremony in Cyprus on Thursday night.

Having been among 30 category winners in the EU-wide annual awards, the OPW was selected from among this year’s laureates by the Board of Europa Nostra, based on the recommendation of an independent jury of experts.

The OPW’s project developed practical guidance and a technical training programme to help public authorities improve the energy performance of historic buildings without compromising their heritage value.

The Board of Europa Nostra noted, “This initiative conveys a truly impactful message, demonstrating what can be achieved through climate-focused approaches in the cultural heritage sector, while establishing clear methodologies and training frameworks that are both replicable and transferable. Cultural heritage values and climate action go hand in hand, paving the way towards a sustainable future.”

Accepting the award, Assistant Principal Architect OPW, Tomás O’Connor said, “On behalf of the Office of Public Works, we are deeply honoured to receive this Grand Prix. This initiative demonstrates that climate action and heritage buildings do not have to be at odds. By developing the guidance and upskilling over 400 professionals, we are building the tools and the knowledge to attempt to future-proof Ireland's historic buildings without compromising their essential fabric and heritage value, making them relevant and helping to secure their future. We are very proud to share this work and hope it will provide rich information for others working with historic buildings across Europe.

An achievement like this belongs to many. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our dedicated multi-disciplined colleagues across the OPW — in particular, Audrey Farrell, who has spearheaded this project, Francis Shier, and Caroline Engel Purcell, whose collective experience, expertise, and passion drove this work forward. Our sincere thanks to the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards for this incredible recognition. Thank you for validating that our past truly can light the way to a sustainable future."

Welcoming the news, Rosemary Collier, Head of Heritage Service and Capital Works Delivery at the OPW said: “It is a tremendous honour for the Office of Public Works to receive this Grand Prix Award from the Europa Nostra expert jury. Receiving this recognition from Europa Nostra underlines that the initiative is seen as a transferrable solution to heritage organisations and practitioners across Europe.

It highlights the value of creating a systematic approach to designing safe, well researched and tested energy renovation solutions for historic and heritage buildings and can be a key tool to guide Europe’s journey to a low carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future.”

Minister of State with Responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D. said, “I warmly congratulate my colleagues at the Office of Public Works on this outstanding achievement and on receiving such significant recognition at European level. This award highlights the importance of investing in innovative approaches that protect our shared heritage while supporting Ireland’s climate objectives. The OPW’s work in this area is setting an important standard for the sustainable care of historic buildings, both nationally and across Europe.”

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.

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