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Green Coast Award beaches in Ireland

Beaches in Ireland holding An Taisce's Green Coast Award for unspoilt natural quality and Excellent water quality.

The Green Coast Award is made by An Taisce to beaches of high natural, unspoilt quality that also achieve Excellent bathing-water quality. Unlike the Blue Flag it does not require lifeguards or built facilities — it recognises rural and undeveloped beaches, which often means fewer amenities and no supervision.

71 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 green coast award beaches are there in Ireland?
71 — this page lists all of them, grouped by area, with each one's current swim status.
What does this mean?
The Green Coast Award is made by An Taisce to beaches of high natural, unspoilt quality that also achieve Excellent bathing-water quality. Unlike the Blue Flag it does not require lifeguards or built facilities — it recognises rural and undeveloped beaches, which often means fewer amenities and no supervision.
Can I swim at all of these right now?
No. 1 of these 71 spots is currently flagged, including 1 under an active do-not-swim notice. A rating or an award describes a past assessment; the status on each spot page is today's. Neither is 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?
Cork (12), Waterford (10), Mayo (9). They are spread across 13 areas in total.

Where this data comes from and what it cannot tell you