A record number of Irish beaches have won European Blue Flag awards for their water quality, litter management, toilet facilities and safety equipment. Bray, Co Wicklow, was the only beach to be turned down on the grounds that it did not meet the required water-quality criteria.
A total of 74 beaches and four marinas in the Republic have received Blue Flags this year.
One entry, part of Tramore beach in Co Waterford, was not eligible because it is not an officially designated bathing area, and two beaches in Donegal, Kilahoey and Carrickfinn, were new entries and therefore not eligible until next year.
Presenting the awards in Dublin yesterday, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, said the record number of awards showed the Government's continuing commitment to improving coastal water quality. His Department was providing a 13 per cent increase in funding for water and sewerage projects this year.
For the second year running only three beaches in the Dublin area, Killiney, Seapoint and Donabate, are included. However, the area's local authorities, notably Fingal County Council, did not apply for beaches such as Portmarnock, Rush and Skerries.
Salthill, Co Galway, also did not apply, after a row last year over why it received a Blue Flag despite a daily discharge of eight million tons of untreated sewage into Galway Bay. An Taisce, which administers the scheme in the Republic, promised the beach would be monitored constantly last summer and found its water quality had deteriorated.
Once again, Mayo has the most Blue Flag beaches with 13, followed by Kerry with 12, where Kells is included this year after an improvement in its water quality. Ten Donegal beaches have flags. These include Lisfannon, Marble Hill and Downings, all turned down last year.
Wexford and Clare with four Blue Flag beaches, Sligo with three and Louth with two have all maintained their numbers. Greystones is added to the list this year, joining north and south Brittas Bay beaches in Co Wicklow. Also joining the list is Lilliput on Lough Ennell, Co Westmeath, one of only three inland beaches included.
Ardmore, Co Waterford, despite being a regular winner in the Tidy Towns competition, loses the Blue Flag award gained last year.
Kilmore Quay in Co Wexford is the new Blue Flag marina.
An Taisce, while conceding that the Celtic Tiger economy had led to an increase in local authority spending on facilities, also warned of "a sting in the tiger's tail" in the form of growing developments of holiday homes, apartments, caravan parks and golf courses near many Blue Flag beaches. Their Blue Flag status was also threatened by the "negative impact" of the "toys of the Celtic Tiger", jet skis and beach buggies.