Heineken® Ireland Celebrates Grand Prix Win at Cannes Lions
The Creative Strategy Grand Prix marks a standout moment for Heineken® Ireland at the 2026 Cannes Lions. Alongside the festival's highest honour in Creative Strategy, The Pub That Refused To Die also received four Bronze Lions; in PR, Direct, BtoB and Entertainment categories.
Created by Heineken®, Publicis Dublin and LePub Milan, in collaboration with THINKHOUSE, The Romans and Dentsu Red Star, The Pub That Refused To Die is a powerful documentary telling the true story of how 26 residents of Kilteely, Co. Limerick, came together to save their only surviving pub, despite having no hospitality experience.
When local Heineken® Sales and Service Representative Shane Boland learned of the community's efforts, Heineken® stepped in to support, through practical business guidance and barstaff training via the Heineken® Ahhh-cademy. To shine a light on their extraordinary efforts, Heineken® enlisted Irish filmmaker Gar O'Rourke to create a documentary capturing the collective spirit that transformed a looming closure into a symbol of community pride.
More than telling one community's story, The Pub That Refused To Die was created to inspire others. Following its premiere, the documentary toured communities across Ireland, where Heineken and the publicans of The Street Bar shared their experiences and offered support to others facing similar challenges. One of those communities has since successfully completed the purchase of its local pub, bringing the campaign's message to life.
The Pub That Refused To Die is the latest chapter of For the Love of Pubs, a series of initiatives from Heineken® Ireland that celebrate and support pub culture across Ireland. Building on the success of 2024's Pub Museums and 2025's Pub Succession, the campaign continues to shine a light on the people, stories and communities that make Irish pubs so special.
Fiona Curtin, Marketing Director at Heineken® Ireland, said: "We're thrilled to win a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions. At Heineken®, we've always believed pubs are at the heart of social connection. The Pub That Refused To Die is a powerful reminder of what communities stand to lose when these spaces vanish, and what becomes possible when people come together to protect them. We're incredibly proud to have supported the people of Kilteely and helped share their story.
For the Love of Pubs demonstrates our long-term commitment to supporting the role pubs play in connecting people. This recognition reflects the passion and creativity of our team and agency partners, and the work we do every day alongside publicans across Ireland, providing support and training to help their businesses thrive."
Ger Roe, Board Creative Director at Publicis Dublin, added: "The best creative work starts with a real human story, and Kilteely gave us exactly that. Building on Heineken® Ireland's For the Love of Pubs platform, we wanted to tell a story that reflected the vital role pubs play in communities and the extraordinary lengths people will go to protect them. It's a testament to what can happen when a brave client, talented partners and an extraordinary community come together behind one shared belief."
The For the Love of Pubs platform has already earned significant recognition at the 2025 Cannes Lions. Pub Museums received eight Cannes Lions for transforming Irish pubs into living museums of local history, while Pub Succession received seven Cannes Lions after launching a global search to find a successor for fourth-generation publican Josie McLoughlin, sparking a wider conversation about the future of family-run pubs.
Now, in 2026, The Pub That Refused To Die has been recognised with the platform's first Cannes Lions Grand Prix, marking another milestone in Heineken® Ireland's ongoing commitment to celebrating and supporting Irish pub culture.
Watch The Pub That Refused To Die on YouTube here:
