WhereToSwim.eu

Blue Flag beaches in Ireland

Every beach in Ireland currently flying the Blue Flag, with its live swim status and water-quality classification.

The Blue Flag is an annual award run by the Foundation for Environmental Education and administered in Ireland by An Taisce. To earn it a beach must meet criteria across water quality, environmental management, environmental education, and safety and services — including Excellent bathing-water quality. It is awarded for a season and can be withdrawn, so it describes a standard the beach met, not the state of the water today.

84 spots, grouped by county. Each shows its current swim status — an award or a classification is not the same as today’s water.

Clare

Cork

Donegal

Dublin

Galway

Kerry

Louth

Mayo

Meath

Sligo

Waterford

Wexford

Wicklow

Common questions

How many blue flag beaches are there in Ireland?
84 — this page lists all of them, grouped by area, with each one's current swim status.
What does this mean?
The Blue Flag is an annual award run by the Foundation for Environmental Education and administered in Ireland by An Taisce. To earn it a beach must meet criteria across water quality, environmental management, environmental education, and safety and services — including Excellent bathing-water quality. It is awarded for a season and can be withdrawn, so it describes a standard the beach met, not the state of the water today.
Can I swim at all of these right now?
None of these 84 spots is currently under a pollution alert or bathing restriction. That is not a safety clearance — bathing-water monitoring covers bacterial quality only, and says nothing about tides, currents, swell or cold-water shock.
Which areas of Ireland have the most?
Kerry (13), Donegal (11), Mayo (11). They are spread across 13 areas in total.

Where this data comes from and what it cannot tell you