2022 Ireland Blue Flag Beach Awards

2022 has seen Ireland have 95 International Blue Flags with 85 beaches and 10 marinas which is an all-time high and up 2 from last year with 79 retaining, 5 losing and 7 new. Meanwhile, 62 Irish beaches have received the Green Coast Award, which recognises beaches for their clean environment, excellent water quality and natural beauty.

The five beaches that lost the flag this year are Bray South Promenade in Wicklow; Warren in Cork; Traught in Co Galway and both Carrowmore and Clare Island in Co Mayo.

Seven new beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag: Trá Inis Oírr in Co Galway; Fountainstown and Youghal Front Strand in Co Cork; Balcarrick and Rush South Beach in Fingal; Ballybunnion North Beach in Kerry and Ballymoney North Beach, in Co Wexford.

Below we list the 85 Blue Flag beaches, just click on a title to go to our beach information pages with interactive maps.

Ireland Blue Flag Awards

Fingal

Balcarrick
Rush South

Galway Blue Flags

Loughrea Lake
Tra an Doilin (Coral Strand)
Tra Mhor, Indreabhan
Salthill
Silverstrand
Portumna
Cill Muirbhthe
Trá Inis Oírr

Kerry Blue Flags

Ballinskelligs
Ballybunion South
Ballybunion North
Ballyheigue
Banna
Derrynane
Fenit
Inch
Kells
Maherabeg
Ventry
White Strand
Rossbeigh

Louth Blue Flags

Port
Templetown
Clogherhead

Mayo Blue Flags

Dooega
Mulranny
Mullaghroe
Silverstrand, Dugort
Golden Strand, Dugort
Keel
Elly Bay
Keem
Ross

Sligo Blue Flags

Rosses Point

Waterford Blue Flags

Ardmore
Clonea
Councellors Stand
Dunmore Strand
Tramore

Wexford Blue Flags

Carne
Curracloe
Morriscastle
Rosslare Strand
Ballinesker
Ballymoney North

Wicklow Blue Flags

Brittas Bay North
Brittas Bay South
Greystones South Beach

Blue Flag is a mark of a quality beach

The Blue Flag beach award is widely recognised as an indication for a good quality beach and has moved on a lot since it started in France in 1985. Most people think a Blue Flag indicates a clean and safe water but although it does, it actually measures a beach against a lot more criteria:

Environmental Education and Information. This includes displaying details on the Blue Flag award along with details on the water quality, a beach map including locations of facilities.
Water Quality. This is about the water is safe to swim in and water samples are taken at regular points during the bathing season and the year gets an overall grade. Each of our beach pages gives a summary of the current water quality.
Environmental Management. This category is about managing the beach and keeping it clean along with facilities like toilets being available to the public.
Safety and Services. This is a big one for families with children as a beach should be patrolled by lifeguards. Other criteria include the availability of drinking water and accessibility features.

Not having a Blue Flag does not mean a beach should be avoided as the tough criteria described above is only really suited to large seaside resorts and smaller villages and remote bays can’t offer the same level of management. This means they just don’t participate in the scheme and local countries have their own awards to recognise some of these other beaches.

The blue flag certification process is carried out every year by local quality organisations and for our beaches in the UK, the annual results are announced at the end of May or beginning of June.

For more information and details of the assessment criteria visit the Blue Flag Award website.

For a full list of blue flag beaches see our list at Ireland Blue Flag Beaches.

Ireland Blue Flag Awards

Clare Blue Flags

Cork Blue Flags

Donegal Blue Flags

Dublin Blue Flags