Suicides account for over half of all reported drowning incidents, according to Irish Water Safety.
However, a relative drop in the number of drownings overall has been described as "encouraging" by Minister of State for the Environment Tony Killeen.
After receiving Irish Water Safety's (IWS) annual report in Galway yesterday, Mr Killeen urged the public to exercise extreme caution when taking to the waterways over the bank holiday weekend.
He also endorsed an IWS leaflet outlining 14 steps to safe swimming (see panel).
"This weekend signals the start of the peak of the holiday season and we expect thousands of people to enjoy our rivers, lakes and seaside over the holiday period," Mr Killeen said.
"Each August bank holiday we experience increased risk of drowning and it is crucial that we be aware of these risks,"
The IWS reported 131 drownings last year, of which 53 were accidental.
Some 63 were suicides and the cause of a small number has not been determined. The figures are the lowest annually since 1965, but still "unacceptably high", Mr Killeen said.
"Each of these cases represents an individual family tragedy," he said.
"Many of these tragedies are a result of complacency, ignorance of the dangers, and a lack of training, or a combination of all three."
Mr Killeen said he would urge people to sign up to training courses provided by or endorsed by the IWS.
But he also noted that it was encouraging that the fatality trend was "downwards", given the marked increase in people participating in marine leisure.
Swimming safely: 14 tips
1. Don't swim alone
2. Don't swim just after eating
3. Don't swim when you're hot or tired
4. Don't swim in strange places
5. Don't swim out after anything drifting
6. Don't stay in the water too long
7. Don't swim out to sea
8. Swim parallel and close to the shore
9. Do what the lifeguard tells you
10. Never use inflatable toys
11. Pay attention to signs on the beach
12. Don't be a bully. Learn to use equipment
before trying it out.
13. Learn resuscitation.
14. In marine emergencies, call 999 or 112 and ask for Marine Rescue.