Representatives from Cuan Mhuire at the Health & Safety Excellence Awards 2026,
where the organisation won both the Healthcare Award and the overall Grand Prix.
Picture: Health & Safety Excellence Awards
Cuan Mhuire, Ireland’s largest voluntary provider of residential addiction treatment services, has been named overall winner at the 2026 Health & Safety Excellence Awards, securing the prestigious Grand Prix alongside a category award for excellence in healthcare.
The awards ceremony, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin, recognises organisations that demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation and best practice in workplace health and safety across the Irish industry and public services.
Cuan Mhuire’s Proactive Women’s Health Initiative, led through the organisation’s Cork centre in Farnanes, secured the Healthcare Award, before being selected as the overall Grand Prix winner – the highest honour of the evening.
National Recognition for Frontline Healthcare Work
The Grand Prix is awarded to a single organisation whose initiative stands out across all categories for impact, sustainability, and leadership. Judges praised Cuan Mhuire’s Cork’s approach to proactive health screening, early intervention, and staff wellbeing, highlighting the programme as a model of best practice not just for healthcare, but for the wider workforce.
Operating residential centres across the country, Cuan Mhuire has provided addiction treatment and recovery services to thousands of people each year since its establishment in 1966 by Sr Consilio. Staff work in demanding, frontline environments where safety, wellbeing and high‑quality care are closely linked.
The award‑winning initiative placed a strong emphasis on preventative healthcare measures for staff, particularly in high‑pressure residential and clinical settings, helping to identify health issues early while fostering a supportive workplace culture.
Cuan Mhuire representatives pictured at the Health & Safety Excellence Awards in Dublin.
The organisation received two top honours, including the overall Grand Prix.
Cuan Mhuire Farnanes to the Fore
The national success reflects the contribution of the team working in Cuan Mhuire’s Farnanes services in Cork, where staff deliver residential treatment, detox supports and long‑term recovery programmes across the region.
Cork‑based teams play a key role in implementing health and safety initiatives on the ground, translating organisation‑wide policies into practical measures within live care settings. This work has been supported through close collaboration with local GP colleagues, including Dr John Crowley and his team at Salutem Clinic, who place a strong emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention for women in treatment. Their holistic approach, which looks beyond dependency and substance misuse alone, helps ensure that safety systems support not only staff wellbeing, but also the quality and continuity of care for service users.
The judges commended Cuan Mhuire for embedding health and safety into everyday practice rather than treating it as a compliance exercise, noting that staff engagement and leadership commitment were central to the initiative’s success.
Setting a Standard for the Voluntary Sector
The Health & Safety Excellence Awards attract entries from large employers, public bodies, and voluntary organisations nationwide. Winning both a category award and the overall Grand Prix places Cuan Mhuire among a small number of organisations recognised at the very highest level.
Representatives from Cuan Mhuire’s services attended the ceremony, reflecting the organisation’s national footprint and the collective effort behind the awards.
In a healthcare environment facing increasing pressures, the judges noted that the initiative demonstrates how voluntary providers can lead the way in creating safer, healthier workplaces – delivering benefits not only for staff, but for the vulnerable individuals and families who rely on their services.
