Blue Flags: Cork leads the way in top-rated Irish beaches, marinas, and coastal areas for 2025
Pristine water and clean beaches: 99 Blue Flags have been awarded in Ireland for 2025. Pictures: Naoise Culhane
The 'Oscars' for pristine coastal water, environmental management, environmental education and safety have been announced with 169 awards presented to beaches, marinas, and coastal areas.
And in a testament to hard work on everything from beach cleans to safety and environmental campaigns this means there were five extra awards given out compared to last year.
2025 is the 38th year that beaches and marinas have been awarded Blue Flags here in Ireland — 99 beaches and marinas have been awarded for the 2025 season (89 beaches, 10 marinas).
There are a number of firsts and special winners too.
- Céibh an Spidéal in County Galway has been awarded a Blue Flag for the first time since 2012.
- Keel Beach on Achill Island in County Mayo has been awarded a Blue Flag for the 37th consecutive year — every year season since 1989, the beach has retained Blue Flag status each season since it was first awarded.
- Clonea in Waterford, and Kerry's Banna and Ballyheigue have been awarded a Blue Flag in 37 non-consecutive seasons.
- Kerry is the county with most Blue Flags in 2025 with 15. Fourteen of these are managed by Kerry County Council and Portmagee Seasonal Pontoons is managed by Kilrush Maritime Ltd.
- Fountainstown and Inchydoney Beach East in Cork
- Baile an Sceilg (Ballinskelligs) in Kerry
- Salthill and Silver Strand in Galway City and An Trá Inis Oirr in Galway County
- Bettystown in Meath
- Enniscrone and Rosses Point in Sligo
- Balcarrick, Donabate in Fingal.
Cork has scooped the most Green Coast Awards in 2025, with 14 and has also the highest combined number of award flags with 27, including the Blue Flags awarded to Kinsale Yacht Club and The Royal Cork Yacht Club; and 11 Blue Flags awarded to Cork County Council-managed beaches.
An Taisce announced the International Blue Flag and Green Coast Award recipients for 2025 today / on Friday. The awards were presented by Mr. James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage at the presentation ceremony held in the Ravenport Resort in Curracloe, County Wexford.
Minister Browne said: “We’ve come a long way since the beginning of Ireland’s Blue Flag awards in 1988, when 19 beaches and 2 marinas were recognised. This didn’t happen by magic. Great credit must go to local authorities, An Taisce, coastal communities and particularly all those local volunteers who have worked tirelessly around the country to keep so many of our coastal areas, beaches and marinas in pristine condition for us all to enjoy."
Cathy Baxter, director of education and community action at An Taisce said: “We would like to congratulate all the Local Authorities, marina operators and Clean Coasts groups responsible for managing the awarded beaches and marinas to the excellent standards required."
The 89 beaches awarded Blue Flags represent 60% of Ireland’s identified bathing waters at the time of the Blue Flag application deadline (three additional beaches have been identified as bathing waters ahead of the 2025 season).
The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised environmental awards. Originating in France in 1985 it was launched as an international programme as part of the 'European Year of the Environment' in 1987. In 1988 sites were awarded outside of France for the first time and 19 Irish beaches and two Irish marinas received the Blue Flag.
More than 50 countries operate the Blue Flag programme globally and more than 5,000 beaches, marinas, and tourism boats will be awarded the Blue Flag this year.
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.
An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of voluntary Clean Coasts groups, who participate in community clean-ups and help manage the applicant beaches in cooperation with local authorities.
The first Green Coast Awards were presented to four beaches in Wexford in 2003. The award was rolled out nationally in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. The 2025 season sees 70 beaches being awarded the Green Coast Award (the same number were awarded in 2024).
- Oysterhaven in Cork has been awarded a Green Coast Award in 2025, there was no application for the beach in 2024.
- Port Arthur in Donegal has been awarded for the first time since 2018, due in part to improved water quality over the past few years.
- Golden Strand on Achill Island has been awarded a Green Coast Award for the first time in 2025.
- Cork is the county with the most Green Coast Awards in 2025, with 14; followed by Wexford with 10 and Mayo with nine.
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