Blue Flag Beaches

Blue Flag & Green Coast Awards 2011

Galway County Council is delighted to announce that 6 beaches in County Galway have been awarded the coveted Blue Flag and a further 5 beaches have received the Green Coast award at the annual awards ceremony on the Curracloe beach, Co. Wexford on the 9th. June 2011. The Blue Flags were presented by the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Phil Hogan.

The International Blue Flag Campaign was established by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and is managed in Ireland by An Taisce with support from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches and marinas that meet a specific set of criteria including:

Environmental Information and Education
Water Quality
Safety and Services
Environmental Management

The six beaches in County Galway which were awarded the Blue Flag for 2011 are as follows:

The Long Point, Loughrea Lake
Traught, Kinvara
Trá an Dóilín, An Cheathrú Rua
Trá Mór Coill Rua, Indreabhán
Trá Cill Mhuirbhigh, Inis Mór
Céibh an Spidéil, An Spidéal

Five Beaches in County Galway were awarded Irish Green Coast Award. This award recognises coastal areas which have

excellent water quality
have entered a yearly environmental management plan drawn up in consultation with the local community and other stakeholders.

These awards are seen as a complimentary award to the Blue Flag Campaign.

The following beaches in County Galway have received the Green Coast Award:

Dogs Bay , Roundstone,
Aillebrack, Ballyconneely
Tra Inis Oirr,
Dumhach , Inish Boffin,
Est End, Inis Boffin.

Galway County Council would like to thank the communities for their participation and help in achieving these awards.

National School 2011 Blue Flag Beach Poster competition

The following were winning posters in the 2011 Blue Flag Beach Poster competition which was run in national schools throughout County Galway. These posters will also be displayed on the noticeboards on Blue Flag beaches in County Galway.

Roisin Fitzmaurice, Age 5 Chloe Flaherty, Age 6 Emma Urquhart, Age 9.pdf Aifric Ní Scolaí, Age 10 Nessa O'Brien, Age 12.pdf Jodie O'Regan, Age 9