Field Guide — 2026 Season
Blue Flag Beaches in Ireland
Ireland's certified beaches face the Atlantic with drama to spare — the long strands of Donegal and Kerry, Dublin's swimming coves, and surf beaches along the Wild Atlantic Way. The flag here often shares a pole with rain clouds; the water quality is excellent all the same.
A Blue Flag is awarded season by season for excellent bathing-water quality, safety, services, and environmental management — what a Blue Flag beach means explains the certification in full.
Regions
Field notes — quick answers
Are there Blue Flag beaches in Ireland?
Yes — Ireland operates a national Blue Flag programme, and we currently map 94 of its beaches across 14 regions, each listed with its certification status.
What does a Blue Flag on a Ireland beach mean?
Blue Flag is an international certification awarded season by season for excellent bathing-water quality, safety, services, and environmental management. Certified Best Beaches is an independent directory and is not affiliated with or endorsed by FEE, the certifying organisation.
How current is this Ireland beach list?
Certification is seasonal, so we track the 2026 season and update listings as national juries publish changes. Beaches that hold Blue Flag certification and uncertified "Certification Candidate" beaches are always labelled separately.