14 Henrietta Street, Dublin City Council's social history museum, has been honoured with a European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2026 at a ceremony held at the museum during Heritage Week.

The accolade acknowledges the museum’s citizens’ engagement and its people-first approach, which interweaves the building’s architectural history with the lives, memories and experiences of those who once lived there, alongside its collaboration with former residents, local communities, visitors, historians, artists and educators.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron attended the event with James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and representatives of Europa Nostra, the European Commission Representation in Ireland, the Heritage Council and Dublin City Council. Paul Dujardin, representing the Europa Nostra jury, presented a commemorative plaque to mark the achievement.

Built in the 18th century as a grand Georgian townhouse before later becoming a tenement home to many families, 14 Henrietta Street was purchased by Dublin City Council in 2008. Following a decade of conservation, restoration and research, it opened to the public as a museum in 2018.

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Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron said: "Dublin City Council has long held the stewardship of our city's built and cultural heritage as a fundamental responsibility. We recognise that heritage is not a static thing; it requires active engagement, strategic planning, and investment not just in our heritage buildings but in our collective memory. This project is the culmination of decades of that strategic commitment by Dublin City Council. 14 Henrietta Street now means something profound to Dublin. It serves as a bridge between the generations. It is a credit to the Culture Company, the museum staff, and the many experts who meticulously pieced this history back together and who continue to discover and bring its stories to life."

Joining the Lord Mayor, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, said: "This museum stands as a beacon of what we can achieve when we protect our shared history. It was a privilege for my department to support the restoration of this building through the Civic Structures Grant Scheme and that of my colleagues in the former Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, via the Centenaries Capital Grant Programme. Seeing this Georgian townhouse revived and repurposed as a space for storytelling and public engagement is a testament to the vision and hard work of everyone involved. As we look to the future, the success found here serves as compelling evidence that continued investment in heritage is essential, not just to preserve structures, but to sustain the vibrant communities and human stories they hold."

The European Heritage Awards Jury described 14 Henrietta Street as an exemplary model of lived heritage, commending how the museum’s storytelling fuses architecture and social history while actively involving the public.

The museum shares more than three centuries of Dublin's urban and social history through guided tours, oral histories and public engagement. Its Your Tenement Memories programme has collected hundreds of first-person testimonies from former residents of the house and neighbouring tenements, while artist residencies, workshops and school programmes continue to add new perspectives.

14 Henrietta Street is owned and conserved by Dublin City Council and run by Dublin City Council Culture Company on a not-for-profit basis.