Four Donegal circular champions shortlisted for national Full Circle Awards 2026

Circular.ie, Ireland’s national platform for the circular economy, has announced the Donegal finalists shortlisted for the Full Circle Awards 2026, recognising individuals, organisations and community groups who are leading the way in circular living, reuse, repair and sustainability in their local communities.

Returning for a second year, the awards, which are funded by the Government of Ireland under the Circular Economy Fund, celebrate the individuals and initiatives helping communities across Ireland reduce waste, reuse resources and promote more sustainable ways of living through local activation. The awards recognise impact across six categories including Repair and Reuse Champion, Community Circular Champion, Creative Circular Design, Circular Living Advocate, Best Community Campaign and Circular Sports Champion.

Among those recognised on this year’s shortlist are four finalists from Donegal, whose work spans community campaigns, food waste prevention, toy reuse, grassroots sport and creative circular initiatives.

The Donegal finalists are Sheila Clancey-O'Donnell, Repair and Reuse Champion - A former New York fashion designer who returned to the industry through sustainability at 58, Sheila founded Circular Dress Collaborative, combining pre-loved fashion, alterations and sewing education.

She is joined by the Ciorcal Project from Áislann Rann na Feirste, for Best Community Campaign - Brings circular living directly into the community through a monthly circular fair, repair café, reuse workshops and pre-loved clothing sales.

Rathmullan Tidy Towns under the banner of Rathmullan The Way Forward CLG, Community Circular Champion - Makes reuse visible at community level through book and beach-toy swaps, upcycled planters, crafting classes and sewing projects using discarded materials.

Nicole Bryson and Castlefin Celtic FC made the shortlist for Circular Sports Champion - Uses a local football club as a base for practical reuse and recycling initiatives, including keeping football equipment in circulation and encouraging greater participation in recycling

Speaking about this year’s shortlist, Eibhlin Fitzpatrick, Community Manager at Circular.ie, said, “We were incredibly impressed by the quality and diversity of nominations for this year’s Full Circle Awards. The shortlist showcases the creativity and practical action already taking place in communities across all the counties. It is fantastic to see the impact being made at a local level, and we are looking forward to celebrating all of our shortlisted finalists and their achievements at the Full Circle Awards in a few weeks.”

Last year’s inaugural awards attracted nominations from across the country, highlighting a range of projects and individuals championing circular living through repair cafes, reuse initiatives, sustainable fashion, education and creative upcycling among others. Each category winner will receive a €2,000 prize along with a one-of-a-kind handcrafted trophy created from upcycled materials. Shortlisted finalists will also benefit from national media exposure, social media promotion and features across the Circular.ie platform.

The winners of the Full Circle Awards 2026 will be announced at the awards ceremony taking place in Carlow on September 17.