Lifeguards set for full-time duty at Cork and Kerry beaches

Beaches in the two counties will see a beefed-up lifeguard presence as the domestic tourism season begins in earnest

Lifeguards Cian Ó Dubhghaill, Conall Boyle and Áine King on duty at Garrettstown Beach, Co Cork, last summer. Picture: David Creedon

Award-winning beaches all over Cork and Kerry will see a beefed-up lifeguard presence for the second year in a row as the domestic tourism season begins in earnest.

Cork County Council's lifeguards will be on duty full-time starting on Saturday, June 12, all over the county, which this year has the most ever designated Blue Flag beaches and marinas.

Lifeguards will be at the Front Strand, Claycastle, and Redbarn in Youghal, as well as Garryvoe, Fountainstown, Garrylucas, Garrettstown, Inchydoney East and West, Owenahincha, The Warren, Tragumna, and Barleycove.

Inchydoney East, near Clonakilty, has been awarded a Blue Flag for the first time, while the Warren in Rosscarbery regained the status for the first time since 2013. Both beaches at Inchydoney now have Blue Flags, which have proven to attract more visitors in recent years because of the prestige attached to the accolade.

Inchydoney beach in West Cork. Picture Denis Minihane

Garretstown, Barley Cove, Redbarn, Owenahincha, Tragumna, and Garrylucas are among other sites with the status in Cork.

Lifeguards across Cork will be full-time from Saturday until the end of August, as well as the first two weekends in September, on duty from 10.30am to 7pm each day.

Cork County Council has provided webinars on open-water swimming, which can be found online.

Kerry to employ 41 lifeguards

Meanwhile, in the south-west, Kerry County Council will employ 41 lifeguards across its 12 Blue Flag beaches. 

A council spokesperson said: "This is the same number that was employed in 2020 but is an increase on the previous years. The number of lifeguards assigned to each beach varies depending on the beach in question, with a higher number of lifeguards assigned to the busier beaches across the county since June 5."

Lifeguards in Kerry are on duty from 12pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and from 11am to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday, the spokesperson added.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant stay-at-home holidaymakers flocked to Cork and Kerry last summer. 

Coupled with the increase in visitors has come an explosion in open-water sports and activities such as swimming, kayaking, kite surfing, and waterboarding.

According to AIB spending data last summer, Cork was the most popular so-called staycation destination nationally, followed by Kerry.

Analysing the spending data, Dubliners' top choice of destination was Cork, with most Cork people in turn preferring to spend their money in neighbouring Kerry, and those in the Kingdom returning the favour by coming to Cork for their break.