Gearóid O'Brien
A historian, writer, broadcaster and heritage advocate, Gearóid O'Brien has championed Athlone's heritage for more than 50 years. He spent his professional career as Senior Executive Librarian with responsibility for the Aidan Heavey Library in Athlone, retiring in 2018 after a distinguished career in public service, local history and culture.
His commitment to protecting Athlone's heritage began while he was still at secondary school in the early 1970s, when he joined a campaign to preserve the Athlone Canal and the Thomas Omer Bridge. More than half a century later, he remains a dedicated advocate for the canal and a prominent member of the Canal Heritage Group.
Gearóid has contributed to numerous historical and heritage organisations and initiatives in Athlone, including the Connaught Street and Environs Community Group, the Old Athlone Society and the No. 1 Gun Battery project. His donation of the Brendan O'Brien Collection, which focuses on the All-Ireland Drama Festival, to TUS Archives & Special Collections has helped preserve an important part of Ireland's cultural history.
A passionate communicator and local historian, Gearóid writes the longest-running history column in any regional newspaper in Ireland for the Westmeath Independent. He has also contributed to Athlone Community Radio, where he presented Street Wise, a series exploring the historical geography of regional roads and structures. An accomplished poet, writer and broadcaster, his work has appeared in Irish and international literary publications. He won the Desmond O'Grady International Poetry Competition in 2013 and the Hanna Greally Literary Award for Poetry in 2015.
During National Heritage Week 2026, Gearóid led guided tours of Athlone's last remaining Napoleonic gun batteries and the medieval town walls. He also took part in An Afternoon of Poetry and wrote What's This Heritage Malarkey?, which was staged by members of the Connaught Street and Environs Community Group at Connaught Gardens.
Through decades of research, advocacy, writing and community engagement, Gearóid has demonstrated how local heritage can inspire pride of place and strengthen community connections. His work has helped generations better understand Athlone's rich history and recognise the importance of protecting and celebrating Ireland's shared heritage.
Congratulating Gearóid on the award, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said:
"Gearóid O'Brien represents the very best of Ireland's heritage community. For more than 50 years, he has worked with knowledge and generosity to protect Athlone's heritage and bring its stories to life. From his earliest campaigns to his storied writing career, he has helped generations understand that heritage is something living and worth safeguarding. At a time when so much of our heritage is at risk, his example and great work at a local and national level shows the difference one committed person can make."
The National Heritage Week Awards ceremony will be livestreamed from the Grand Hall at the RDS, Dublin, on Thursday, 29 October 2026 at 12.30pm via the National Heritage Week website.
