Tramore Beach has lost its International Blue Flag status - as An Taisce have announced the International Blue Flag and Green Coast Award recipients for 2024.
The flag is an environmental award made to beaches and marinas throughout the world that demonstrate good environmental standards and have good sanitary and safety facilities.
The awards were presented by Hildegarde Naughton TD - Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Education - at a ceremony held in the Galway Bay Hotel.
In total there were 94 Blue Flags and 70 Green Coast Awards announced.
85 beaches and nine marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag for 2024.
82 of the 85 beaches awarded in 2023 have retained Blue Flag status for this year's bathing season, the exceptions being Tramore in Waterford, Rush South Beach in Fingal and Ballymoney North Beach in Wexford.
The programme requires that beaches being awarded for the upcoming season have achieved “excellent” bathing water quality in the most recent annual classification.
Tramore and Rush failed because of a deterioration of water quality due to the presence of intestinal enterococci bacteria, while Ballymoney failed due to the presence of E.coli.
Each of these three sites received a classification of 'Good', the second highest classification available based on analysis of bathing water samples over the past four bathing seasons.
Ardmore Beach and Clonea Beach have retained their Blue Flag status.
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