Ireland’s beaches and lakes benefitted from the scorching sunshine last summer, as record heat killed off bacteria and other harmful growths that can contaminate bathing waters.

Water quality in Irish rivers is going in the “wrong direction”, the Environmental Protection Agency has warned.

Kerry County Council is to erect warning signs, because blue-green algae has appeared over the past number of days in Killarney’s largest lake, Lough Lein.

EPA classifies 102 of 142 bathing waters as ‘excellent’ and 18 as ‘good’ but warns about bacterial contamination caused by bird droppings

Bathers will have to think twice before taking the plunge at six of the country’s beaches after they failed basic water quality tests.