Ireland has won the prestigious 2024 European Heritage Award for its Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme, celebrating the cultural value of traditional farm structures and promoting their preservation.
Ireland has made a remarkable achievement by winning one of the prestigious 2024 European Heritage Awards, also known as the Europa Nostra Awards, for its Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme. This initiative, established by The Heritage Council in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), aims to help farmers recognize the cultural value of traditional farm buildings and has been co-funded by the government and the European Union under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme.
The awards ceremony took place on October 9, 2024, at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romania, where approximately 800 heritage professionals, volunteers, enthusiasts, and supporters gathered to celebrate significant contributions to heritage preservation across Europe. Among this year’s 26 winners from 18 European countries, Ireland’s Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme stood out, earning recognition in the education, training, and skills category.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue accepted the award on behalf of the scheme, highlighting its “outstanding contribution” to the preservation and enhancement of Ireland’s agricultural vernacular heritage. Since its inception in 2008, the scheme has supported the repair of over 1,000 traditional farm buildings, empowering participants to acquire skills that enable them to restore these structures to functional use.
In addition to Ireland, other Grand Prix winners included initiatives from Georgia, Romania, Croatia, and Poland. Notably, the Saxon Church in Alma Vii, Romania, received both a Grand Prix and the Public Choice Award for 2024, garnering the most votes from an online poll involving approximately 10,000 citizens from across Europe.
This recognition reinforces Ireland’s commitment to preserving its rich agricultural heritage and demonstrates the impact of collaborative efforts in maintaining cultural landmarks.
