Galway Bay fm newsroom - A record 93 blue flags have been awarded at beaches across the country this year, including two for Galway city and six for the county.
Galway County Council has retained blue flag status for all six sites awarded last year while Galway City Council has retained its blue flag status and green coast award status for Salthill and Silverstrand for the 2021 season.
In the county, blue flag status has been secured again at An Trá Mór, Indreabhán; Cill Mhuirbhigh, Inis Mór; Loughrea Lake;Trá an Dóilín, An Ceathrú Rua; Traught, Kinvara and Portumna.
Seven beaches in the county have received green coast awards for the 2021 season - Dumhach Beach and East End Bay on Inisbofin; in Connemara, Trá Inis Oirr and Trá Poll na gCaorach on the Aran Island; Whitestrand Renvyle Beach; Aillebrack/Silver Hill Goirtín and Cloch na Rón in Roundstone.
The counties with the most Blue Flags are Donegal and Kerry with 14 each.
Blue Flags are given out to beaches and marinas with good water quality while Green Coast awards are for environmental protection.
This year 93 Blue Flags and 63 Green Coast awards have been presented.
Inchydoney east beach in Cork has received a Blue Flag for the first time, while Warren in Cork, Killiney in Dublin and Golden strand in Mayo regained their clean status this year.
Two beaches have not retained blue flags - Ballymoney North beach in Wexford and Bertra in Mayo.
6 beaches have received both Blue Flag and Green Coast awards.
They are Portmarnock in Dublin, Salthill and Silver Strand in Galway; Ballinskelligs in Kerry, Inchydoney East Beach in Cork and Rosses Point in Sligo.
while Kerry and Donegal have the most blue flags, cork has the most awarded sites at 25 - 10 Blue Flag beaches, 2 marinas and 13 Green Coast Awards.
