Galway has ten Blue Flag beaches and eight Green Coast Award winners after An Taisce announced the recipients for 2025.

It was a memorable day for three of Galway’s hottest spots – because Salthill and Silver Strand in the City and Trá Inis Oirr on the Aran Islands were honoured as dual award winners.

The announcement on Friday last brought particularly good news for community and tourism interests in Connemara – because Céibh an Spidéil beach has regained its coveted Blue Flag status after losing it in 2013.

The awards were presented by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne at the presentation ceremony in Curracloe, County Wexford.

The other Blue Flag recipients in the county were Cill Mhuirbhigh on Inis Mór; the Bathing Place at Portumna; Loughrea Lake; Trá an Dóilín, An Ceathrú Rua; Traught, Kinvara; and Céibh an Spidéal.

Green Coast Awards went to Trá Poll na gCaorach on Inis Oirr; Silver Hill at Aillebrack; Whitestrand at Renvyle Beach; and both Dumhach and East End Bay on Inishbofin.

Galway’s three dual Blue Flag and Green Coast Award winners were in a club of ten across the country that also included iconic bathing spots like Fountainstown and Inchydoney in Cork; Baile an Sceilg (Ballinskelligs) in Kerry; Bettystown in Meath and Enniscrone and Rosses Point in Sligo.

Overall, there were 99 Blue Flags and 70 Green Coast Awards awarded this year.

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised environmental awards. Originating in France in 1985 it was launched as an international programme as part of the European Year of the Environment in 1987.

In 1988, the first year sites were awarded outside of France, a total of 19 beaches and two marinas received the Blue Flag in Ireland.

The Green Coast Award recognises beaches for their clean environment, excellent water quality and natural beauty. Green Coast Award sites are exceptional places to visit and enjoy our rich coastal heritage and diversity.

An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of voluntary Clean Coasts groups, who participate in community clean-ups and help manage the applicant beaches in cooperation with Local Authorities.

The first Green Coast Awards were presented to four beaches in Wexford in 2003. The award was rolled out nationally in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. The 2025 season sees a record equalling 70 beaches being awarded the Green Coast Award (the same number were awarded in 2024).

Pictured: Enjoying a game of beach volleyball in Salthill during the sunshine last weekend. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.