All we need now is the sun!
Donegal warmed up for the holiday season today by being named as the county (along with Kerry!) with the most Blue Flag beaches.
We always knew we had the best natural amenities in the country but now An Taisce have backed up that claim.
Now a total of 14 beaches and marinas from Downings to Rossnowlagh and from Greencastle to Rathmullan can boast safe seaside surroundings with the awarding of the status yet again.
The full list of Donegal’s Blue Flag beaches is Downings, Rossnowlagh, Greencastle, Rathmullan, Bundoran, Carrickfin, Culdaff, Fintra, Killahoey, Portsalon, Marble Hill, Stroove, Murvagh and Nairn.
The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised eco-labels. The Blue Flag originated in France in 1985 when French coastal Local Authorities were awarded with the Blue Flag for compliance with sewage treatment and bathing water quality criteria.
The programme aims to raise environmental awareness and promote sound environmental management of beaches, marinas and inland bathing waters around the world.
Meanwhile, another four Donegal beaches have been awarded the Green Coast Award for this year.
The Green Coast Award aims to acknowledge and promote environmentally sensitive management of beaches and places a strong emphasis on community involvement and encourages Local Authorities to work together with local communities in the management of sites.
They include Ballyheirnan (Mowi Ireland), Dooey Beach (Dooey Clean Coast Group), Drumnatinney (Cósta Glan agus Glas Falcarragh Clean Coast Group) and Magheroarty Beach (Meas Larthuaisceart.)
A new record of 93 Blue Flags are being awarded today in the Republic of Ireland, 83 to beaches and 10 to marinas and this is a net increase of 2 Blue Flags since 2020.
The Blue Flag and Green Coast Award sites for 2021 were announced by Ian Diamond, Coastal Awards Manager with An Taisce’s Environmental Education unit this morning in a virtual awards ceremony attended by Local Authorities, marina operators and Clean Coasts groups who volunteer at the beaches receiving Green Coast Awards this year.
Mr. Ian Diamond Coastal Awards Manager for An Taisce speaking at this morning’s virtual Blue Flag and Green Coast Award presentation ceremony said “I would like to thanks and acknowledge the work of the Local Authorities and marina operators with us today for all their efforts in ensuring that the sites being awarded this year have achieved the excellent standards required by the Blue Flag.
“I would also like to commend the many thousands of Clean Coasts volunteers who make an invaluable contribution to the protection of Ireland’s coastal environment, not just at the beaches receiving a Green Coast Award today, but all along the coastline and along riversides, canals and lakeshores inland.
“Without the collaborative approach to beach management demonstrated by Local Authorities and Clean Coasts groups around the country the Green Coast Awards would not be possible”.