THRIVE conservation, restoration and adaptive reuse of Ireland’s built heritage

Introduction

The Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE) is reshaping Ireland’s approach to heritage—not as a set of static monuments, but as living places that anchor community life, support local economies, and embody shared identity. Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through ERDF Regional Programmes, THRIVE channels investment into adaptive reuse of publicly owned, vacant and derelict heritage buildings in designated town centres, guided by the New European Bauhaus (NEB) values of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion.

Launched in 2024 with €120m across Ireland’s three regions, THRIVE Strand 1 has provided funding to local authorities to strengthen integrated urban strategies and develop project pipelines in 29 town centres. THRIVE Strand 2 is providing funding to 19 capital regenerative projects across 17 counties. Together, these strands encourage compact growth, balanced regional development and community-led placemaking that transforms historic buildings into contemporary, inclusive assets.

Why adaptive reuse of built heritage?

Vacant and derelict buildings in historic cores undermine vitality. Still, they also represent a powerful opportunity: when reimagined with communities, heritage buildings can become cultural hubs, creative and learning centres, archives and historic research hubs and public spaces—places that invite people to linger longer and reconnect with town life. THRIVE supports integrated planning, multi-level governance, and cross-sector collaboration, steering towns toward walkable neighbourhoods, active travel, and greener infrastructure that is woven through heritage streetscapes.

How THRIVE works: policy coherence, funding and participation

THRIVE is delivered under the EU’s Cohesion Policy Objective 5, “A Europe closer to citizens”, fostering integrated, inclusive development in urban areas under ERDF. It was co-designed by the Regional Assemblies and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to align with European, national and regional objectives to support delivery through integrated urban strategies and projects.

THRIVE highlights transformative roadmaps, multi-level governance, cross-sector collaboration and structured stakeholder engagement as success factors—critical enablers for complex urban challenges and spatial planning.

In practice, this means local authorities are provided with the tools and funding to turn vacant and derelict heritage building projects into implementation-ready investments, with THRIVE and NEB acting as social catalysts for the regeneration of towns and cities. Significant capacity building is undertaken with all local authorities who are THRIVE beneficiaries. Delivering conservation with contemporary reuse requires skill, governance, and peer learning. Therefore, the Regional Assemblies and the European Urban Initiative hosted the “Reimagining Places: Sustainable Conservation of Ireland’s Beautiful Heritage under THRIVE & beyond” capacity building event in Monaghan in November 2025. This two-day programme blended Irish and European case studies with hands-on workshops, site visits and governance discussions – “from barriers to bridges”, focused on the conservation, preservation and adaptive reuse of vacant and derelict heritage buildings.

Day 1 combined a THRIVE progress update, a keynote speech on NEB values, a panel on lessons learned from THRIVE beneficiaries to date, five parallel workshops, site visits to observe regeneration in practice, and networking to develop future collaborations. The event emphasised transferable solutions from projects delivered inside and outside EU funding streams.

Day 2 focused on governance: “Shared Sparks: Governance & Partnership Solutions for Creative Regeneration”, which explored funding, partnerships and engagement structures needed to sustain heritage-led regeneration beyond THRIVE. Panels and workshops unfolded around practical implementation, synthesis and final reflections—equipping local authorities with frameworks they can apply immediately, including:

1. Implementation tools – Panels distilled how to move from vision to delivery, covering procurement strategies, phasing, business case development, and multi-stakeholder governance (including local authorities, cultural institutions, NGOs, and academia).
2. European peer learning – Contributions from cities and initiatives such as Free Riga, OpenHeritage and Viana STARTS shared models for activating vacant buildings, building affordable creative space, and establishing living labs that balance policy, practice and research. These case studies widen the toolbox for Irish local authorities, suggesting low-cost occupancy strategies, inclusive programming, and long-term development without sole reliance on municipal funding.
3. NEB-aligned design methods – Workshops highlighted co-design, inclusive public realm, lighting strategies for night-time economy, and nature-based solutions for biodiversity and climate resilience—approaches that can readily translate into THRIVE projects.
4. Alternative funding opportunities beyond THRIVE – EUI briefed participants on the Innovative Actions call, which will open in early 2026 and offer approximately €60m in funding for around 30 projects in small to medium-sized cities (≥25,000 inhabitants), aligned with themes such as housing, digitalisation, mobility, social inclusion, and climate adaptation.  This call may provide opportunities to complement THRIVE investments or scale pilot projects identified in integrated urban strategies that were funded under THRIVE Strand 1.

Network effects – 28 local authorities from across Ireland with regional assemblies and EU partners attended this event, which forged cross-county collaboration and knowledge exchange, crucial for replicating successful tactics and avoiding duplicated effort.

What THRIVE conservation & adaptive reuse of built heritage success looks like:

• Conservation that invites participation – In Gorey, the opening of arches in Gorey Market House is both a conservation and engagement action, as it reveals historic form while inviting citizens into a new plaza and trail network. In Waterford, conserving the original fabric of 18 Lady Lane ensures authenticity in the Tír na nÓg @18 Lady Lane experience, so children and families are learning in a meaningful historic setting.
• Accessibility as a design driver – Mallow Town Hall’s new link and extensions are not afterthoughts; they operationalise universal design to meet modern codes without sacrificing character.
• Programmes that broaden inclusion – From social inclusion plans in Tír na nÓg @18 Lady Lane, Waterford, to free archive access in Navan Cultural Quarter, THRIVE projects embed social equity, ensuring the benefits of heritage revival reach children, older adults, and communities historically excluded from cultural life.
• Economic spillovers – Reused heritage buildings draw foot traffic, extend dwell time, and stimulate local enterprise, from cafés to creative studios and performance venues. They catalyse the night-time economy while reinforcing daytime cultural and civic functions.
• Educational dividends – County archives and interpretive museums embed learning, offering hands-on history to schools and researchers. In Navan’s Cultural Quarter, freely accessible collections democratise heritage and weave intergenerational ties, ensuring the town’s stories become widely known and retold.

Conclusion

THRIVE proves that conservation is not just nostalgic, it is a forward-looking investment in social infrastructure. By helping local authorities bring derelict heritage back into everyday life, the scheme nurtures creative economies, learning ecosystems, and green public realms—all stitched together through town centres where people can live, work, and gather. Across Ireland, the Reimagining Places capacity-building event aims to ensure that these successes are not isolated, as it equips local authorities with governance, funding, co-design, and technical strategies to deliver projects and sustain them beyond the THRIVE initiative. By aligning policy, funding and participation, THRIVE helps towns rediscover the joy and practicality of living at the heart of heritage in places that are beautiful, sustainable, inclusive, and ready to THRIVE.

Throughout 2026, LGIU, in association with the Regional Assemblies in Ireland, will feature specific case studies from Ireland’s local authorities, detailing each project currently being delivered with the support of THRIVE. Watch this space!