Blue-Flag Summer 2025 - Ireland’s Record-Breaking 89 Beaches (and 10 Marinas) to Dive Into

Julia Labedz
Jul 16
3 min read

Updated: Jul 17

Ireland’s coast has just earned its brightest haul of eco-credentials since the Blue Flag programme began here in 1988. At a ceremony in Curracloe on 16 May, An Taisce unfurled 89 Blue Flags for bathing beaches and 10 for marinas - four more beaches than last year and the highest total on record.

The awards certify excellent water quality, strong safety cover, robust environmental management and plentiful visitor information for the 2025 season, which runs 1 June – 15 September for beaches (marinas keep the flag flying until 31 May 2026).

The headline numbers

99 flags in all: 89 beaches + 10 marinas.
70 Green Coast Awards (for wilder, less-serviced strands), matching last year’s record.
10 “dual” beaches clinched both flags, including Balcarrick (Donabate), Salthill and Fountainstown.
Keel, Achill Island keeps its unbroken streak with 37 consecutive Blue Flags since 1989.

Where the blue shines brightest

County	2025 Blue Flags	Quick-glance highlights
Kerry	15	Banna’s surf breaks, Inch’s seven-kilometre crescent, Rossbeigh’s dunes
Donegal	14	Bundoran’s waves, Carrickfinn’s machair meadows
Cork	11 (+14 Green Coasts)	Twin Inchydoneys, yacht-watching at Kinsale
Mayo	11	Keem’s turquoise bowl, Mulranny’s causeway
Clare & Galway	9 and 10 respectively	Lahinch’s lively prom; brand-new flag at Céibh an Spidéal, first since 2012

Kerry and Donegal now share the crown for most Blue Flag sites when marinas are included (each counts 14 beaches plus one marina).

Newcomers, comebacks … and one goodbye

Céibh an Spidéal, Co Galway raises a Blue Flag for the first time in 13 years, thanks to sustained water-quality gains.
Greencastle Marina, Co Donegal re-joins the list after renovations, while Cappagh Pier (Clare), Ballymoney North (Wexford) and two Waterford favourites: Counsellors’ Strand and Tramore, win back their flags with “excellent” quality ratings.
Golden Strand, Achill Island loses its flag for 2025 due to an accessibility issue, though it secures Green Coast status instead.

The Blue-Flag marinas for 2025

Rathmullan and Greencastle (Donegal), Fenit (Kerry), Kilrush & Portmagee (Clare/Kerry), Kinsale Yacht Club, Royal Cork Yacht Club, Quigley’s Marina on Lough Ree, plus Kilmore Quay and New Ross in Wexford round out the ten award-winning berths—ideal launchpads for coastal cruising or dolphin-watching.

Why travellers should care

The Blue Flag isn’t just a banner for bragging rights; it gives visitors hard evidence that:

Water quality is tested at least fortnightly and must meet the EU’s highest “excellent” classification.
Lifeguards or lifesaving equipment and clear safety signage are mandatory in season.
Accessible toilets, waste management and environmental-education displays are audited throughout summer.

The flag signals both a safe swim and a shore worth stewarding!

Five blue-flag day-trips for every kind of beachgoer

Family & facilities: Rosses Point, Co Sligo – paddling shallows, an ice-cream van that never seems to leave, and Yeats Country sunsets.
Wild-swimmer heaven: Ballycuggeran, Lough Derg, Co Clare – freshwater dips fringed by oak woods, with a floating platform for mid-stroke somersaults.
Surf town vibes: Lahinch, Co Clare – cafés piled with chowder ten steps from the slipway.
Island escape: Cill Mhuirbhigh, Inis Mór – cycle from the ferry to the pier-side bathing cove in under ten minutes.
Low-key luxe: Garretstown, Co Cork – morning yoga on the sand, then lobster rolls in nearby Kinsale.

Before you go

Check daily water-quality notices - temporary withdrawals can follow heavy rain.
Respect dog-ban hours (usually 11 a.m.–7 p.m.) on the busiest Blue Flag strands.
Lend a hand at one of the many Clean Coasts beach-clean events; several dual-award beaches post volunteer timetables on site.

With a record-breaking 89 ribbons fluttering this summer, Ireland’s “blue beaches” map reads like an invitation - north to south, east to west, there’s a certified swim spot within easy reach of every holiday base.