Swimming restrictions remain in place at top bathing spots 

Lahinch in Co Clare. The county has been particularly badly hit with the current round of restrictions on bathing.

Swimmers at some of Ireland's best-loved beaches are restricted from entering the water in the coming days as the heavy rainfall of recent weeks takes its toll.

The restrictions at nearly 30 beaches and loughs in the likes of Clare, Galway, and Dublin show the need to comprehensively tackle the "platter of causes" in addition to heavy rainfall, environmental campaigners have suggested.

Clare has been particularly badly hit with the current round of restrictions on bathing, with Cappagh Pier in Kilrush, White Strand in Miltown Malbay, Spanish Point, Kilkee, White Strand in Doonbeg, and Lahinch still off limits to bathers as of Wednesday, having been on initial notice for five days from August 4.

Galway and Dublin have also seen many of their most popular spots declared off-limits, along with loughs inland in counties such as Westmeath. In Galway, popular beaches which have swimming restrictions in place include Trá na mBan, An Spidéal, Ballyloughane Beach, Clifden, and Grattan Road Beach.

According to notices attached to each, heavy rainfall has increased the risk of deterioration in water quality.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that the recent problems "are very much the result of the heavy rain in recent weeks" and that local authorities are updating the Beaches.ie website regularly to make people aware of the current issues and advising on any bathing water restrictions.

Co-ordinator for environmental organisation Coastwatch, Karin Dubsky, said while heavy rain is the main culprit, a range of other solvable issues contribute to such events.

“Sadly, and as expected, we see water pollution and bathing restrictions peak after heavy rain. We need to tackle this systematically to cover the platter of causes. 

"This includes legislation to halt the sale of plastic mix toilet paper and 'flushable' wet wipes to reduce breakdowns and overflows in pumping stations and sewage treatment plants, better private — especially summer holiday accommodation — treatment plant monitoring and simple access to septic tank upgrade grants. 

"These would all help tackle the sewage problems. Restoring hedgerows and wetlands would strengthen our buffers to intercept diffuse pollution and benefit biodiversity," she said.

Wet weather

Met Éireann warned last month that Ireland has become warmer and wetter in the last 30 years, following the hottest June on record and the wettest July.

The forecaster's data show an increase in rainfall of approximately 7% over the last 30 years when compared to the 1961-1990 period, with annual average rainfall for Ireland at 1,288mm between 199 and 2020. 

Regional variations are also evident, with the West and North of Ireland showing the greatest increases in annual rainfall, Met Éireann added.

However, almost all regions have observed an increase in annual average rainfall between the two 30-year periods, it said.

Annual average rainfall has increased by approximately 3%-6% in the east of the country and approximately 6%-12% across areas of the west and north, the data show.

Last month alone, Ireland had 217% of its 1981-2010 long-term average rainfall, more than four times the amount of rain observed in July 2022, and more than twice that observed in July 2021, Met Éireann said.

The previous wettest July was in 2009 with 202% of the long-term average, records show.

Over the past 12 months, Ireland had its wettest October on record in 2022, its wettest March on record earlier this year, and now its wettest July on record, it added.

Met Éireann climatologist Mary Curley, said: We know that the atmosphere is warming and what we’re seeing at the local and national scale fits the international picture."