Image courtesy of Deposit Photos

• A Record-breaking of 159 Awards awarded for the 2023 season.

Today, An Taisce has announced the recipients of the International Blue Flag and the National Green Coast Awards for 2023. A total of 159 awards, an increase of two awards compared to 2022, were presented by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Mr. Darragh O’Brien, T.D., at an awards ceremony held on the Shoreline Hotel, overlooking Donabate’s Balcarrick Blue Flag beach in Co. Dublin. The event was organised in collaboration with Fingal County Council.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Minister O’Brien said: 

“This year celebrates the 20^th anniversary of Clean Coasts and the Green Coast Awards and I am delighted to present a record-breaking 65 Green Coast Awards today. It also marks 36 years of the Blue Flag as an international programme and I am pleased to present 94 Blue Flags for the 2023 season. During its 36 years, the Blue Flag has become an internationally recognised symbol of high standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety.  Today’s high number of awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the local authorities, An Taisce, local coastal communities and other volunteers around the country.”

For the 2023 season, 159 awards were conferred, marking a notable milestone as two additional sites received the prestigious award this year. During the ceremony, 84 beaches and 10 marinas in Ireland received the Blue Flag, while 65 beaches were awarded the Green Coast Award.

In the 36^th edition of the award in Ireland, 84 beaches and 10 marinas were awarded the prestigious Blue Flag this year. Talking about the event, Ms. Cathy Baxter, Director of the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, said:

“We were delighted to have been present on the beautiful sandy beach of Donabate, as we gathered to celebrate another remarkable year of recognition for all the sites that have been honoured with the Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards for the 2023 season. It takes immense dedication and effort to manage a beach or marina to meet the rigorous standards set by these prestigious award programmes, and we extend our warmest congratulations to all the deserving sites that have achieved this remarkable reward.”  

For 2023, 81 of the 85 beaches and all 10 marinas awarded last year have retained Blue Flag status for the season 2023. Three additional sites from Mayo are included this year, Bertra, Clare Island (Louisburgh) and Old Head, which it was awarded for the first time since 2012. 

The Green Coast Award has achieved a noteworthy milestone by granting 65 awards for the 2023 bathing season. This is an increase of 3 awards compared to last year, and the highest number of awards given since its establishment. These achievements coincide with the celebration of Clean Coasts’s 20-year anniversary.

The 3 extra sites awarded are Carrowniskey Beach, County Mayo, awarded for the last time in 2019, Bettystown in County Meath, awarded for the first time, and Rosslare Harbour Beach in County Wexford, last awarded in 2021.

• The Green Coast Awards were first presented back in 2003 to four beaches in County Wexford, it was rolled out nationally in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of Clean Coasts groups, of which they are currently over 1,800 comprised of tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide. These volunteers participate in community clean-ups and in cooperation with Local Authorities help manage their local beaches throughout the year.

Notes:

Summary Awards: 159 awards for 2023

• 159 awards announced for 151 sites today, 2 more than last year with 8 sites receiving both the Blue Flag and Green Coast Award.
• The county with the most awarded sites is Cork with 27: 10 Blue Flag beaches, 2 Blue Flag marinas and 15 Green Coast Awarded sites.
• The 8 sites receiving both the Blue Flag and Green Coast Award are Fountainstown and Inchydoney East Beach (County Cork), Balcarrick, Donabate (County Fingal), Salthill Beach and Silverstrand Beach (Galway City), Trá Inis Oírr (County Galway), Baile an Sceilg, Ballinskelligs (County Kerry) and Rosses Point Beach (County Sligo).

Blue Flag key notes: 84 Beaches and 10 marinas awarded the Blue Flag for 2023

• The Blue Flag Programme has been in operation since 1988 in Ireland, when 19 flags were awarded.
• 94 Blue Flags are being announced today, 84 beaches and 10 marinas.
• 3 beaches not awarded in 2022 have been awarded for the coming bathing season. These are: Bertra, Clare Island (Louisburgh), and Old Head, all in County Mayo.
• Bertra in Mayo, which last flew a Blue Flag in 2020 has been awarded for the 2023 bathing season.
• Clare Island, Louisburgh in Mayo regained its Blue Flag status after losing it in 2022 for not having achieved the “Excellent” classification for water quality.
• Old Head in County Mayo has been awarded a Blue Flag for the first time since 2012.
• All 10 marinas awarded in 2022 have retained Blue Flag status for the coming season.
• Kerry is the county with the most Blue Flags in 2023 with 15.
• The 4 beaches awarded in 2022 that have not been awarded for the 2023 season are: Cappagh Pier, Kilrush in County Clare, Garretstown in County Cork, and Counsellors’ Strand (Dunmore East) and Dunmore Strand (Dunmore East) in County Waterford.

Green Coast Award Key Notes: 65 beaches awarded the Blue Flag for 2023

• 2023 is the year of the 20th anniversary of Clean Coasts and the Green Coast Award, which started locally in Wexford in 2003 and became a national award in 2008.
• A new milestone has been reached as a record-breaking number of 65 beaches have been awarded for the 2023 season.
• 3 new sites were awarded this year, 2 of them regained the award lost in previous seasons. These sites are Carrowniskey Beach (County Mayo), Bettystown (County Meath) and Rosslare Harbour Beach (County Wexford).
• Carrowniskey Beach, County Mayo, awarded for the last time in 2019, has been awarded for the 2023 season.
• Bettystown in County Meath has been awarded a Green Coast Award for the first time this year.
• Rosslare Harbour Beach in County Wexford, regained the award after not being awarded in 2022.
• Cork is the county with the most Green Coast Award beaches again in 2023 with 15.
• Waterville in County Kerry and Portacloy in County Mayo, last awarded in 2022, haven’t been awarded due to not achieving the “Excellent” water quality status required.

ABOUT BLUE FLAG

• The Blue Flag is administered in Ireland by An Taisce on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The Foundation for Environmental Education is an international organisation that has been promoting environmental education for sustainable development since 1981. FEE is an umbrella organisation with members in 73 countries world-wide.   The Blue Flag programme is funded in Ireland by the Department of the Housing, Planning and Local Government

• Blue Flag beaches must be identified bathing waters and are judged against a total of 33 criteria www.blueflagireland.org
• The Blue Flag originated in France in 1985 when French coastal Local Authorities were awarded with the Blue Flag for compliance with sewage treatment and bathing water quality criteria.
• In 1987, the “European Year of the Environment”, the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe (FEEE) presented the French concept to the European Commission, and the Blue Flag Programme was launched as one of the year’s community activities. In addition to sewage treatment and bathing water quality, criteria for obtaining a Blue Flag on a European level included other areas of environmental management, such as waste management and coastal planning and protection. Marinas were also eligible for the award.
• The Blue Flag has been operating in Ireland since 1987, in 1988 the first year flags were awarded here, 19 beaches and 2 marinas received the award.
• Blue Flags are awarded on the basis of:

1. • Compliance with Blue Flag criteria relating to water quality, facilities for visitors, beach management, environmental education and the provision of information.
   • The results of in-season beach inspections which are carried out on 100% of all awarded beaches.
   • Recommendations of the National and International Blue Flag juries.

ABOUT GREEN COAST AWARD

• The Green Coast Awards is supported by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and by Fáilte Ireland.
• The aim of the Green Coast Award is to recognise beaches of high environmental quality.  To achieve the award, beaches must have excellent water quality and have effective and appropriate management to ensure the protection of the natural environment.
• The Green Coast Award aims to acknowledge and promote environmentally sensitive management of beaches.  It places a strong emphasis on community involvement and encourages Local Authorities to work together with local communities in the management of sites.
• The Green Coast Award builds on the public participation process as it involves local communities in the production of beach management plans and encourages their participation in the adoption and implementation of these plans.  This process gives the people who are most affected by such the plans, a say in how they should be designed and implemented, thus promoting a fine example of the bottom up approach.
• The plans must be sensitive to conservation sites of national and international importance and ensure that they are implemented in line with international beach management best practice.
• The Green Coast Award is also run in Northern Ireland by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.
• The Green Coast Award recognises beaches for their clean environment, excellent water quality and natural beauty. Green Coast Award sites are exceptional places to visit and enjoy our rich coastal heritage and diversity.
• The Green Coast Awards were presented back in 2003 to four beaches in County Wexford, it was rolled out nationally in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of Clean Coasts groups of which there are currently over 2000 comprised of tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide. These volunteers participate in community clean-ups and in cooperation with Local Authorities help sensitively manage their local beaches throughout the year.

Criteria under which Blue Flag beaches are assessed (33 criteria):

Environmental Education and Information

• Information about the Blue Flag must be displayed.
• Environmental education activities must be offered and promoted to beach users.
• Information about bathing water quality must be displayed.
• Information relating to local eco-systems and environmental phenomena must be displayed.
• A map of the beach indicating different facilities must be displayed.
• A code of conduct that reflects appropriate laws governing the use of the beach and surrounding areas must be displayed.

Water Quality

 The beach must fully comply with the water quality sampling and frequency requirements.

• The beach must fully comply with the standards and requirements for water quality analysis.
• No industrial, waste-water or sewage-related discharges should affect the beach area.
• The beach must comply with the Blue Flag requirements for the microbiological parameter Escherichia coli (faecal coli bacteria) and intestinal enterococci (streptococci)
• The beach must comply with the Blue Flag requirements for physical and chemical parameters.

3)      Environmental Management

 The local authority/beach operator should establish a beach management committee.

• The local authority/beach operator must comply with all regulations affecting the location and operation of the beach.
• The beach must be clean.
• Algae vegetation or natural debris should be left on the beach.
• Waste disposal bins/containers must be available at the beach in adequate numbers and they must be regularly maintained.
• Facilities for the separation of recyclable waste materials should be available at the beach.
• An adequate number of toilet or restroom facilities must be provided.
• The toilet or restroom facilities must be kept clean.
• The toilet or restroom facilities must have controlled sewage disposal.
• There should be no unauthorised camping, driving or dumping of waste on the beach.
• Access to the beach by dogs and other domestic animals must be strictly controlled.
• All buildings and beach equipment must be properly maintained.
• Coral reefs in the vicinity of the beach must be monitored.
• A sustainable means of transportation should be promoted in the beach area.

4)      Safety and Services

• An adequate number of lifeguards and/or lifesaving equipment must be available at the beach.
• First aid equipment must be available on the beach.
• Emergency plans to cope with pollution risks must be in place.
• There must be management of beach users and events to prevent conflicts and accidents.
• There must be safety measures in place to protect beach users.
• A supply of drinking water should be available at the beach.
• At least one Blue Flag beach in each municipality must have wheelchair and accessibility features.
• Wheelchair access and accessibility features must be in place for at least one Blue Flag beach in each municipality.

ABOUT CLEAN COASTS:

In 2023, the Clean Coasts programme is celebrating its 20th birthday. Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life.

Since 2003, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. Clean Coasts thrives to create tangible and immediate improvements to Ireland’s coastal environment, involving thousands of volunteers removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline each year.

For the past 20 years, Clean Coasts has grown from strength to strength and now includes two main national clean-up drives, as well as other initiatives, including the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshows for coastal communities and the Ocean Hero Awards. All these initiatives are aimed at celebrating the beauty of our coast and the efforts of our volunteers across all of Ireland.
Currently, there are over 2,000 registered Clean Coasts volunteering groups and 40,000 volunteers. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways. Our volunteering has expanded to also include Corporate Volunteering.