The RIAI awards prove that Irish architects have good reason to be confident, says Emma Cullinan. Below, we look at the seven projects which won special awards

There was much joking about how a gathering of architects is known as "a jealousy" of architects at the RIAI 2004 Architecture Awards on Monday night. This quip has probably passed its use-by date at this stage, as Irish architects have become more confident and the number of projects on offer has increased.

There was none of the pomposity on show that has afflicted certain architects in their time. Members of the small community of designers in Ireland know each other well now and there is respect and friendship across practices.

Awards ceremonies can bring out the worst in people but at the prize-giving in the OPW offices in St Stephen's Green, there was a supportive and friendly atmosphere, with people in competing categories congratulating each other.

And Irish architects have good reason to be confident: the quality of this year's winners is high. Standards have improved dramatically since the awards began in 1990, according to RIAI president Anthony Reddy. And Martin Cullen, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, speaking at the ceremony, said the standard bar is raised every year.

It is overall consistency they're talking about. Architects move with the times: Burke Kennedy Doyle won an award for an IFSC building in 1990 and were back again on Monday night, picking up a trophy for a swimming-pool complex. OPW also won prizes in both the first and latest awards.

There is no set number of prizes given each year; instead the judges, who remain anonymous, choose how many they will award. This year there were 22 in total and seven of these projects were given special awards. Last year there were 23 awards given and 28 selected for exhibition. This year the number of projects picked for exhibition - which will tour Ireland and go to London - was a much higher 47.

This is the public's chance to see what's being built in Ireland and, says Tony Reddy, the London exhibition will give Irish architecture an international stage. This is reinforced by the fact that the RIBA Journal (voice of the Royal Institute of British Architects) has just published an edition on Ireland and the RIBA will be holding its annual conference in Dublin this summer.

Many of this year's winning schemes were in Dublin and Martin Cullen took the opportunity to promote decentralisation, saying that it will roll out good architecture across the country - but that depends. We need effective methods of procurement and good architects must be chosen.

These awards weren't just for architects, they were given to clients too, and the future of architecture in Ireland lies in their hands. The public sector - in the form of local government and the Department of Education - were the main players on Monday night, along with enlightened private clients.

Just back from opening the Balgaddy housing scheme in west Dublin, Minister Cullen noted that it showed just how good housing could be and that a person in the private sector seeking a luxury apartment would be hard pushed to tell that this was public housing. But, with the way things are going, public housing design will surpass that of private housing schemes, unless developers are persuaded to employ good architects, a trend thankfully, on the rise.

The awards showed how buildings that could have been bog standard were made special by the architects, including Roches Stores in Dublin's Henry Street, and two schools by Grafton Architects.

This wasn't all about new build, there were three conservation projects in the awards, including the Palm House in Glasnevin, the Main Guard in Clonmel and a gazebo in Dromoland Demesne in Co Clare.

"Vast sums of money are due to be spent on construction in this country over the next 10 years," said Tony Reddy. "It is incumbent upon the State and the developers to see that this money is as well invested as possible, with the highest possible standards being applied, in order to maximise both the economic and the social benefits of development to local communities and to Irish society as a whole."

An exhibition of the winning schemes, along with a further 47 entries, will be on display in the Architecture Centre on Merrion Square from May 31st to July 30th and will then go on nationwide tour