How Gardai and Teneo’s Award-Winning PR Strategy Is Cracking the Code to Unstoppable Influence and Massive Impact

Ever wonder what it takes for an organization to not just weather a storm but win big while doing it? Well, An Garda Síochána just showed us all how it’s done, scooping up three major accolades at the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) Communications Impact Awards in Dublin this evening. From a gripping public appeal involving 99 persons of interest after the Dublin riots, which clinched the Best Crisis/Issues Communication category, to a winning recruitment campaign that snagged Best Integrated Communication Campaign—and topping it off, their internal comms team snagged In-House Team of the Year. Talk about hitting the trifecta! And while the Gardai set the bar high, the event shone a light on a slew of standout campaigns—from Harris PR’s stellar Amazon.ie launch to the inspiring Very Pink Run that scored dual wins. Curious how strategic communications can make waves across sectors and crises alike? Dive into the full rundown of winners and prepare to be inspired. LEARN MORE

An Garda Siochána won named the winner in three categories at the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) Communications Impact Awards in Dublin this evening.

The gardai’s public appeal for information regarding 99 persons of interest following the Dublin riots won in the Best Crisis/Issues Communication category, and the organisation also won Best Integrated Communication Campaign for its Trainee Recruitment Campaign.

The Garda Office of Corporate Communications, the gardai’s internal communication team, was named PRII In-House Team of the Year.

Elsewhere, Harris Public Relations and Amazon.ie won Most Impactful Digital/Social Media Campaign for the campaign around the retail website’s Irish launch.

The Very Pink Run campaign by Crichton Communications, Breast Cancer Ireland and Very Ireland won both Best Sponsorship Relationship and Most Impactful Event. 

In the ESG category, MediaConsult with WEEE Ireland were recognised for their creative and effective support of the WEEE Ireland Schools Battery Recycling Programme.

We the People were recognised for their innovative use of AI tools, winning Best Application of AI Tools by a Communication Team for its WTP-GPT project.

Bank of Ireland’s Group External Communications team won the Most Impactful Public Affairs Campaign, sponsored by Ruepoint (A Muck Rack Company), for the campaign, Bank of Ireland Fraud Prevention.

Susannah Kerr of Reputation Inc was named PRII Up & Coming Pro of the Year while Julie Dilger of Google was warded PRII Pro of the Year, and Springboard Communications was named Consultancy of the Year.

Teneo with Fáilte Ireland won the Most Impactful Print/Broadcast Media Campaign and the overall PRII Most Impactful Communication Campaign of the year for the campaign, The Tay’cation.

PRII thanked the sponsors of this year’s awards: dmg media (media partner), Ruepoint (category sponsor), and Fennell Photography (photography partner) for making the event possible. The full list of winners is below.

Most Impactful Print/Broadcast Media Campaign

Winner

The Tay’cation

Aoife Kelly – Teneo

Fáilte Ireland

Highly Commended

Chadwicks ‘How’s the Head’ 2025 Campaign

Angie Grant – Teneo

Chadwicks

Emma’s Run to 40

The Debra Team – MediaConsult

Debra

Most Impactful Digital/Social Media Campaign

Winner

Harris PR launches Amazon.ie

Sonia Harris Pope – Harris PR

Amazon.ie

Highly Commended

Harris PR’s Campaign Supports Púca Festival 2024

Sonia Harris Pope – Harris PR

Fáilte Ireland’s Púca Festival

Seanad Éireann General Election 2025

Jason Kiernan– Houses of the Oireachtas

Best Crisis/Issues Communication Project

Winner

Garda Appeal on 99 “Persons of Interest” Following Dublin Riots

Superintendent Liam Geraghty – An Garda Síochána

Highly Commended

Empowering Consumers: The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) Consumer Awareness and Switching Campaign
Health Insurance Authority team – Carr Communications
Health Insurance Authority

Raising awareness of the Dublin Airport cap and the need for action

Communications Team – daa

Best Internal Communication Project

Winner

Zone: Innovating Communication to Empower Uisce Éireann’s Workforce

Internal Communications Team – Uisce Éireann

Highly Commended

Embedding AIB’s organisational Purpose & Strategy

Employee Communications Team – AIB

It’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace

The Communications Team – St Patrick’s Mental Health Services

Best Sponsorship Relationship Winner

The Very Pink Run – “A Charity Partnership of Dreams”

Nicky Crichton – Crichton Communications

Breast Cancer Ireland & Very

Best Integrated Communication Campaign Winner

An Garda Síochána Trainee Recruitment Campaign

Mary Phelan – An Garda Síochána

Highly Commended

Ireland’s Dog Census

Communications Team – Dogs Trust Ireland

Your Carlow Public Engagement Plan

Darren Hughes – MediaConsult

Carlow County Council

Most Impactful Public Affairs Campaign

Winner

Bank of Ireland Fraud Prevention

Group External Communications – Bank of Ireland

Most Impactful Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Communication Campaign

Winner

WEEE Ireland Schools Battery Recycling Programme – Senior Schools Focus (2024/25)
Bernice Burnside – MediaConsult
WEEE Ireland

Highly Commended

Growing Up in Ireland

Communications Team – Central Statistics Office

“Take a Minute Before You Bin It” Campaign

Sinead O’Donnell – Wilson Hartnell
Regional Waste Management Planning Offices

The Vhi Sun Safe Campaign for parkrun

Sports Advisory Team – Teneo

Vhi

Best Application of AI tools by a Communication Team

Winner

WTP-GPT

Niall Cowley – We The People

Highly Commended

Visit Roscommon

Niall Cowley – We The People

Roscommon County Council

Most Impactful Event

Winner

The Very Pink Run 2025

Nicky Crichton – Crichton Communications

Breast Cancer Ireland

Highly Commended

Google’s ‘Korean Connection’ event to launch the Pixel 9a

Caoimhe Butler – Methods + Mastery

Google

Harris PR Supports ‘DOOP by Lidl’

Sonia Harris Pope – Harris PR

Lidl Ireland

Harris PR Supports Lidl Ireland’s Vino Sensoria

Sonia Harris Pope – Harris PR

Lidl Ireland