Athlone’s Gearóid O’Brien is set to receive the 2026 Heritage Hero Award tomorrow.
A Westmeath man says preserving Ireland’s history will be invaluable to future generations of historians.
Athlone’s Gearóid O’Brien will receive the 2026 Heritage Hero Award at a ceremony in Dublin’s RDS tomorrow.
As part of National Heritage Week 2026, Mr O’Brien led tours of Athlone’s Napoleonic gun batteries and medieval town walls, bringing the town’s history to life.
He has also helped preserve Athlone's heritage since he joined a campaign to preserve the Athlone Canal and the Thomas Omer Bridge in the early 1970s.
He says keeping local history alive is vital:
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