The Irish Georgian Society congratulates Gráinne Shaffrey on her election (22nd October) as President of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) at its 22nd General Assembly in Kuching, Malaysia. This is a richly deserved honour and a proud moment for Ireland's architectural heritage community.

Gráinne has been a valued friend and collaborator of the Society for many years, sharing her expertise generously. She has been a committed contributor to the Society’s annual 'Conserving your Dublin Period House' talks programme, held in partnership with Dublin City Council, where her practical, thoughtful guidance has assisted numerous owners understand and conserve their historic houses. On many occasions over the past two decades, Grainne has made a significant contributions to the Society’s Conservation Education Programme conferences to include, most recently, 'Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings' (March 2026), held in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, the European Commission Representation in Ireland, and the Department's National Built Heritage Service, and the previous year's 'Dublin 2025: A City in Crisis or a Golden Opportunity…' conference (May 2025), held in partnership with Dublin Civic Trust.

Gráinne’s rare combination of architectural design excellence, conservation rigour, and commitment to the future of historic towns and cities has shaped conservation thinking in Ireland and abroad. At a time when cultural heritage worldwide faces the challenges of climate change, conflict and neglect, ICOMOS could not ask for a more principled, collaborative and capable leader. The Irish Georgian Society offers Gráinne its full support and every good wish for her Presidency over the coming three years.