SIX IRISH beaches have lost their Blue Flag status while five others have regained theirs, according to the 2010 list of international standard clean beaches released by An Taisce yesterday.
The Blue Flag awards were lost by Brittas Bay South, Co Wicklow, Ross and Old Head, Co Mayo, Traught and Ceibh an Spidéal, Co Galway, and Mullaghmore, Co Sligo. Heavy rainfall, which affected water quality, was blamed in most cases for the loss of the awards.
The beaches that regained their flags were: Maherabeg, Co Kerry; Claycastle and Redbarn, Co Cork; Rosses Point, Co Sligo, and Portmarnock in Fingal, Co Dublin.
The Blue Flag is an international voluntary eco-label for beaches and marinas.
It is operated in Ireland by An Taisce with support from the Department of the Environment and is based on compliance with 32 international standard criteria covering aspects such as water quality, environmental education and beach management.
Seventy-six Irish beaches and marinas have been awarded Blue Flag status for this summer season. This is the lowest number since 2000 when 72 flags were awarded.
Seventy-seven flags were awarded last year while 80 were awarded in 2008.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley said the loss of the flags this year was disappointing.
“I would hope that we will see improvements in water quality at these beaches in the very near future and the early return of Blue Flags,” he said.
Mr Gormley said his department was continuing to take action to tackle water quality issues.
Kerry topped the list of counties with the most Blue Flags. It retained its 12 flags and regained one for Magherabeg which had been lost last year.
Co Donegal had the next highest number of flags with 12, while Co Mayo had 11.
There was good news for Co Cork, which retained its eight flags and regained its flag for Claycastle.
It also won a new Blue Flag for Redbarn beach.
Two marinas were awarded flags – Killinure Point Marina in Glasson, Co Westmeath, and Kilmore Quay Marina in Wexford.
Mr Gormley highlighted the fact that an additional six beaches in this State had received the National Green Coast Award for 2010.
This award is given to beaches which have excellent water quality but which may be less developed or more rural in nature than Blue Flag beaches.
Forty-six beaches received the coast award, compared with 40 last year.
Cork County Council made the most progress in this category. It retained its awards for Red strand and Inch but also won eight new awards. Donegal County Council received eight Green Coast awards.
An Taisce’s environmental education unit director Patricia Oliver paid tribute to the local authorities and local communities that worked to achieve and maintain Blue Flag status. “Particularly in this economic climate I would encourage people to participate in caring for the fantastic beaches we have around the Irish coast this summer,” Ms Oliver said.
In Northern Ireland, eight beaches and one marina received Blue Flags – the largest number Northern Ireland has had for five years.
Tidy Northern Ireland’s chief executive Ian Humphreys said this was “a fantastic result” for Northern Ireland’s beaches, reflecting a significant investment by beach operators and resulting in greater choice of clean, safe and litter-free beaches.
“It comes with perfect timing as more and more of us are staying at home heading down to our own coast for more affordable holidays, free of the uncertainty caused by loitering volcanic ash clouds,” Mr Humphreys said.
Details of the award-winning beaches can be found at www.beachawards.ie
In addition to the beach awards site www.bathingwater.ie provides the most up to date information on the quality of the bathing water at each bathing area.
Blue flags: water quality is key criterion
A FAILURE to meet strict water quality standards was the main reason that some Irish beaches lost their Blue Flag status this year.
Heavy rainfall affected water quality at five beaches: Ross Strand and Old Head, Co Mayo; Traught and Céibh an Spidéal, Co Galway; and Brittas Bay South, Co Wicklow.
Brittas Bay North retained its Blue Flag status.
The beach at Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, lost its Blue Flag because of the lack of a lifeguard, which was related to an unresolved issue involving livestock on the beach.
A spokeswoman for Galway County Council said the loss of Blue Flag status at Traught and Céibh an Spidéal was due to a single sampling result.
“Samples taken immediately after the non-compliant result was obtained were compliant and indicated very good water quality,” she said. “Water quality at both locations is generally very good and it is considered that the non-compliant result was caused by very heavy rainfall prior to sampling.”
A bathing area at Aillebrack, Ballyconneely, did not retain its National Green Coast status. The spokeswoman said loss of status was due to two non-compliant samples. “Galway County Council has commenced investigative monitoring to determine the cause of the non-compliances.”
Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he expected that work by his department and by local authorities would lead to improvements in water quality in the coming years.
“The Government’s commitment to sustained improvement and expansion of national water services infrastructure is reflected in the €508 million allocated for this purpose this year,” he said.
“Water quality is also being addressed through water quality legislation on discharges from municipal treatment plants and agricultural sources.”
The announcement of the successful Blue Flag beaches was made by Mr Gormley on Velvet Beach in Dublin’s Portmarnock.
He announced that Fingal County Council has just regained the flag for the beach, nine years after the Blue Flag had last flown at the beach.
Last week, a European Commission survey of Atlantic coastal beaches found that just over 93 per cent of Irish beaches met the minimum mandatory standards when tested last year.
This compared with an average of 98 per cent for other EU member states with coasts on the Atlantic Ocean.
