Waterford City and County Council has been shortlisted in five categories of the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2026.

The awards are held in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, recognising best practice across local authorities, celebrating innovative projects, public services and initiatives that strengthen communities across Ireland.

Nominated in the Celebrating Irish Language and Culture Category, which recognises projects that celebrate and sustain the Irish language, folklore and cultural heritage, is Cad As Duit? Placenames of the Déise Community Roadshow.

The initiative was organised by Waterford City and County Council’s Placenames Committee to encourage local communities around Waterford to share their local placenames for collection and official recording on the Council’s Placenames website, www.deiselogainm.ie.

The Regeneration of Cappoquin is shortlisted in the Urban Revival Category. This award recognises initiatives that enhance urbanism by improving the quality of life in urban environments.

The Cappoquin Town Centre Regeneration Strategy is the forerunner of the Town Centre First Plan which is currently in development. The community has benefited from improved amenities, cultural heritage promotion, and tourism development, including recreational infrastructure linked to the River Blackwater and regional walking routes.

The category for Promoting Economic Development has shortlisted the Waterford Enterprise Ecosystem Collaboration Initiative, a collaborative model where Waterford LEO, Enterprise Centres and SETU coordinate the co-delivery of cohesive enterprise ecosystem to enhance supports for local enterprises and drive enterprise development in Waterford.  

The Ballymacarbry Community Solar Sharing Project has been shortlisted in the Climate Change Category. Waterford City and County Council connected and advised Ballymacarbry Community Centre and their neighbouring Ballymacarbry Elders Housing Association Ltd (BEHAL) on working with the SEEA to source funding, with additional funding made available through the Community Climate Action Fund. Together, they delivered an innovative community solar project under SCEPA (Scaling up the Energy Poverty Approach), a European funded initiative.

And finally, Phase 1 of Waterford’s Community Climate Action Programme has been shortlisted in the Supporting Sustainable Communities Category. This initiative actively engaged with communities in enhancing their local areas as more sustainable places to live, work, and thrive. The Programme supported groups to build more sustainable communities through a holistic approach, with a total of €656,007 awarded to enable meaningful and long-term community‑led climate action.

Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Liam Brazil welcomed the nominations saying, “It is a fantastic achievement to be shortlisted in five categories of the Excellence in Local Government Awards.  The scope of the projects shortlisted demonstrates the vision and dedication of the Council and its staff in delivering initiatives that strengthen our communities and create positive and lasting outcomes.”

The 2026 Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards will take place in Dublin on November 26^th.