Five Dublin Beaches Made It On To This Year’s Blue Flag List – But One Existing Holder Lost Out

Some 81 beaches around the country were awarded Blue Flags today, including five in Dublin that retained their status from last year.

However, the news for the capital wasn't all good, as the South Beach in Skerries lost its flag due to issues surrounding water quality.

The beaches that retained their place on the list were Portrane, Balcarrick-Donabate and Portmarnock on the Northside, and Seapoint and Killiney on the south. It's something of a setback for the Fingal beaches, which all lost their flags in 2013 over newly introduced compliance standards, but reclaimed them en masse in 2014.

Greystones, in Co Wicklow, also held on to its status – while Portrane, Portmarnock and Donabate were three of six spots in the country to win both the Blue Flag and the Green Coast award, which celebrates "exceptional places to visit".

So a bad day for Skerries... but we know it'll bounce back!