Six beaches and a marina have lost their Blue Flag status after failing to meet strict EU guidelines on water quality.
Beaches in Donabate, Co Dublin, Greystones, Co Wicklow, Duncannon in Co Wexford, Bunmahon, Co Waterford, Rosses Point, Co Sligo and Youghal Frontstrand, Co Cork were all stripped of their flags. Athlone Marina also lost its Blue Flag as it was judged to have breached the criteria on water quality.
However, at a ceremony in Carlingford, Co Louth today, An Taisce announced that two beaches - Dollymount in Dublin and Culdaff in Donegal - which lost their flags in recent years have had them restored and a new flag has been awarded to Wexford for its beach at Morriscastle.
Beaches in the west of Ireland were among the big winners with Clare County Council receiving six flags for its beaches at Donnbeg, Cappagh, Kilkee, White Strand-Miltown Malbay, Lahinch, and Fanore.
Mayo County Council retained its 13 Blue flags, while Galway City Council received two flags for Salthill and Silverstrand and Galway County Council received six flags for Traught, Loughrea Lake, Trá Mhór Coill Rua, Trá an Doilín, Cill Muirbhithe and Céibh an Spidéil.
For the first time the awards included beaches in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, with 78 Blue Flags for beaches and two for marinas awarded to Ireland by the International Blue Flag Jury in Copenhagen, while a further seven Blue Flags were awarded to Northern Ireland beaches.
Minister for the Environment, John Gormley along with Dr Roy Ramsey, the Director of Environmental Protection of Northern Ireland's Environment and Heritage Service presented the awards today. Mr Gormley said the joint presentation reflected "the extensive and important cross border coordination of effort that takes place in relation to a variety of environmental protection matters".
In another first, An Taisce announced the roll out of a new national beach award, "The Green Coast Award", to complement the Blue Flag programme and named 33 beaches as recipients.
The "Clean Coasts" initiative is an all-island coastal environmental programme where voluntary 'Coastcare Groups' organise coastal clean ups and act as guardians of the coast, working alongside local authorities to adopt and manage stretches of Ireland's rural coastline.
Four beaches - Redbarn, County Cork; Tramore, County Waterford; Sandymount, Co Dublin and Downings, Co Donegal – have all entered a Blue Flag pilot phase which makes them eligible for awards in 2009 providing they maintain excellent water quality.
This is the twentieth year in which the Blue Flag programme has operated in Ireland. The 80 flags awarded today show a drop from 83 awarded in 2007.
Mr Gormley said it was disappointing when flags are lost, particularly where a large effort has been put into the programme in these areas. The losses are due to deterioration in water quality in some areas, which resulted largely from the heavy rainfall that we experienced last year.