Jane Dillon-Byrne, a member of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, has been swimming at Seapoint since she was 10. Ms Dillon-Byrne, who declined to say how many years that encompassed, now swims all year round, and twice a day in summer.
Yesterday her attendance at Seapoint for the presentation of Blue Flags to the 2003 award-winners by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, was an unusual - if apt - precursor to the first of her daily summertime swims.
Seapoint, which faces Dun Laoghaire Harbour from the Monkstown side, has seen dramatic improvements in water quality in recent years and was yesterday named by Mr Cullen as the only Dublin winner in this year's Blue Flag scheme, which is organised by An Taisce.
After the Minister had posed with lifeguards at the water's edge and wrapped up his presentation in a sudden downpour, Ms Dillon-Byrne applauded quietly and said water quality was "greatly improved". She then donned her swimsuit and headed for the sea.
In her time at Seapoint she has seen the water quality change from a point where the signs were posted advising locals: "Shellfish caught in this area are unsafe to eat" . A campaigner for improved public swimming facilities, she attributed the current improvement in water quality to the linking of all the sewage outflows in the area to the treatment plant in Ringsend, which was part of the Dublin Bay project.
The project was also mentioned by Mr Cullen, who said this year's water-quality results would filter into the competition next year, allowing more beaches on Dublin Bay to enter with reasonable expectations. The results, he predicted, would show "a very quick change" in water quality in the bay.
In all 73 beaches and six marinas were granted Blue Flag status from a total of 84 beach and six marina applications. The overall number of flags awarded was the same as 2002, but the number of beaches has decreased from 75 to 73 while the number of flags awarded to marinas has increased from four to six.
According to Mr Cullen, "the continuing high number of Blue Flags awarded in Ireland underlines the high quality of Irish bathing areas".
Kerry and Mayo, with 13 each, received the highest number of Blue Flags in the country. Donegal retained all of its 12 flags again this year, while eight were awarded to Clare.
This year three marinas on the inland waterways were awarded Blue Flags, underlining the improvements in the water quality of the Shannon. They are Killinure Point Marina on the Westmeath shore of Lough Ree, a popular destination for waterway holidays; Athlone Marina, also in Co Westmeath; and Mountshannon Marina on the Co Clare shore of Lough Derg.
Coastal marinas awarded Blue Flags include Kilrush Creek Marina in Co Clare, Fenit Marina in Co Kerry and Kilmore Quay Marina in Co Wexford.
An application from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for Killiney beach was unsuccessful. Killiney lost its Blue Flag in 2001.
Waterford County Council applied for Blue Flags for Ardmore, Clonea, Bonmahon, Dunmore East Councillors Strand, Dumore East Main Strand and Tramore. Clonea and Bonmahon were the only successful applicants.
Two of nine applications from from Galway County Council for Tra Inis Oirr, Aran Islands and Tra an bhForbacha Furbo were unsuccessful. Tra Inis Oirr is not a designated bathing area and therefore ineligible. Tra an bhForbacha, Furbo, was not in compliance with guideline standards.