Shackleton Experience wins major building awards

The Shackleton Experience in Athy has won two top honours at the Irish Building and Design (IBDA) Awards 2026: Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Project of the Year and Heritage, Conservation Project of the Year. The IBDA Awards recognise excellence in Irish architecture, engineering, construction and design and were presented at a ceremony in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin.

The Shackleton Experience was praised for best-practice conservation and detailed restoration, combined with contemporary design. A standout feature is the glass extension, known as the Iceberg, along with cutting-edge exhibition design and interpretative methods.

An €8.3 million investment has turned the 300-year-old former town hall into a cultural and tourism destination. Reopened last October, the project was co-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and Kildare County Council.

The general manager of the attraction is Brannockstown woman Aline Egar. 

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