http://www.antaisce.ie/educationRSS feeds for An Taisce's Education Unit60http://www.antaisce.ie/Others/News/tabid/334/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/47/Ireland-awarded-80-Blue-Flags.aspx#Comments3http://www.antaisce.ie/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=334&ModuleID=641&ArticleID=47http://www.antaisce.ie/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=47&PortalID=4&TabID=334http://www.antaisce.ie/Others/News/tabid/334/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/47/Ireland-awarded-80-Blue-Flags.aspxPRESS RELEASE An Taisce Announces Blue Flag and Green Coast Beach Awards 2008   Ireland awarded 80 Blue Flags   An Taisce introduces a new beach award, ‘Green Coast’ which rewards beaches for excellent bathing water quality and responsible environmental management   Monday 9th June, 2008: An Taisce today announced the successful Blue Flag beach and Green Coasts applicants for 2008. The awards were presented by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley, T.D., and Dr. Roy Ramsay of the Environment & Heritage Service Northern Ireland, at a joint North/South awards ceremony on Templetown Beach, Carlingford, Co. Louth at 11am today.   This year saw Ireland lose six of its International Blue Flags because of bathing water quality failures. However a further two which were lost in recent years have been restored and a new flag has been awarded to Wexford for its beach at Morriscastle. A total of 78 Blue Flags for beaches and 2 for Marinas were awarded to Ireland by the International Blue Flag Jury in Copenhagen while a further 7 Blue Flags were awarded to Northern Ireland beaches.   At the event An Taisce announced the roll out of a new national beach award, “The Green Coast Award”, to complement the Blue Flag programme. Clean Coasts is a coastal environmental programme, where voluntary ‘Coastcare Groups’ organise coastal clean ups, eliminate ‘eyesores’, act as guardians of the coast, improve facilities, report incidents and tackle environmental problems both small and large. These ‘Coastcare Groups’, together with their Local Authority, are encouraged to adopt and manage stretches of our rural coastline in Ireland.   Local beaches and harbours play an important part in the lives of our coastal communities and visitors, whether for pastimes such as walking, fishing and water-sports or for tourism and fishing. However through time, much of our coastline becomes disfigured with marine litter, which reduces our enjoyment of beaches and often threatens wildlife.   The award will be rolled out on a north-south basis, with Tidy Northern Ireland administering the programme north of the border. The Department of the Environment, Coca Cola and Fáilte Ireland sponsor the Clean Coast programme in Ireland.     2008 Main Points Blue Flag Details:   89 Applications Received. 78 Beaches and 2 Marinas Awarded for 2008. Morriscastle has received its first Blue Flag Award in 2008. Culdaff in Donegal and Dollymount in Dublin have had their Blue Flags reinstated for this year. 4 Beaches (Redbarn, County Cork; Tramore, County Waterford; Sandymount, Co Dublin and Downings, Co Donegal) have entered a Blue Flag pilot phase which makes them eligible for awards in 2009 giving they hold excellent water quality. 6 beaches (Donabate Beach, Fingal; Greystones, Co Wicklow; Duncannon, Co Wexford; Bunmahon, Co Waterford; Rosses Point, Co Sligo and Youghal Front Strand, Co Cork.) failed to retain Blue Flag status because of Water Quality testing in 2007 which did not meet the very stringent EU Guideline standard and so have lost their Blue Flags for 2008. Athlone Marina has failed to retain its Blue Flag due to breaching the criteria on water quality.   Green Coast Award Details:   33 Beaches have been awarded the Green Coast Award for 2008 2008 represents the first year which the Green Coast Award has been rolled out nationally. The award has been piloted for the past 5 years in the South East of Ireland as part of an Interreg III programme The award scheme is to be extended to Northern Ireland during 2009 and will be administered by Tidy Northern Ireland The award forms one part of the two part Clean Coast Programme the second of which is Coast Care. Coast Care encourages local community groups to get involved in the environmental management and protection of their local coastline. The programme can assist with this work by supplying materials, contacts and advice on coastal environmental issues. An Taisce are also presenting two merit awards to a group and an individual who have been influential in improving their local coastal environment: These are Bray Coast Care Group and Margaret Brown of Sandycove Tidy Towns. The programme is sponsored in the Republic of Ireland by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Coca Cola Bottlers Ireland and Fáilte Ireland   For further information, please contact: Jimmy McVeigh, An Taisce Blue Flag Manager 086 2283690 Aidan Gray, Clean Coast Manager 087 6826934 Patricia Oliver, Director, An Taisce Education 087 2463929 AWARD DETAILS FOLLOW:   2008 BLUE FLAG AWARDEES     LOUTH – 2 FLAGS Louth County Council retains both its Blue Flags at Shellinghill/Templetown and Port.   DUBLIN – 4 FLAGS Fingal County Council: Fingal retains the Blue Flag for Portrane. Donnabate lost the Blue Flag as the water quality did not reach EU guideline values. Dublin City: regains the Blue Flag for Dollymount in 2008. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council: Retains both flags at Killiney and Seapoint.   WICKLOW – 2 FLAGS Wicklow County Council Retains flags at Brittas Bay North and Brittas Bay South. Greystones lost the Blue Flag as the water quality did not reach EU guideline values.   WEXFORD – 4 FLAGS Wexford County Council New Blue Flag beach at Morriscastle having successfully completed pilot year in 2007. Retained flags for 2008 at Courtown, Curracloe and Rosslare. Duncannon lost the Blue Flag as the water quality did not reach EU guideline values.   WATERFORD – 2 FLAGS Waterford County Council was awarded two flags for Dunmore East and Clonea Strand. Bunmahon lost the Blue Flag as the water quality did not reach EU guideline values.   CORK – 9 FLAGS Cork County Council retains 9 flags at Youghal-Claycastle, Garryvoe, Garretstown, Garrylucas, Inchydoney, Owenahincha, Warren, Tragumna, and Barleycove. Youghal Frontstrand lost the Blue Flag as the water quality did not reach EU guideline values.   KERRY – 13 FLAGS Kerry County Council retains all 13 flags for Derrynane, Ballinskelligs, White Strand-Caherciveen, Kells, Rossbeigh, Inch, Ceann Trá, Magherabeg, Fenit, Banna, Ballyheigue, Ballybunion North and Ballybunion South.   CLARE – 8 FLAGS Clare County Council receives 5 flags for Donnbeg, Cappagh, Kilkee, White Strand-Miltown Malbay, Lahinch, and Fanore. Ballycuggeran and Mountshannon two freshwater bathing areas on Lough Derg were also awarded the Blue Flag.   GALWAY - 8 FLAGS Galway City Council receives 2 Blue Flags for Salthill and Silverstrand. Galway County Council receives 6 flags for Traught, Loughrea Lake, Trá Mhór Coill Rua, Trá an Doilín, Cill Muirbhithe and this year Céibh an Spidéil was awarded for the first time.   MAYO – 13 FLAGS Mayo County Council retains 13 Blue flags for Old Head, Bertra, Carrowmore, Clare Island, Mulranny, Dooega, Doogort, Keem, Keel, Golden Strand, Elly Bay, Mullaghroe, Ross.     SLIGO – 1 FLAG Sligo County Council retains one flag at Mullaghmore. Rosses Point lost the Blue Flag as the water quality did not reach EU guideline values.   DONEGAL – 12 FLAGS Bundoran Town Council receives the flag for its beach at Bundoran. Donegal County Council receives 11 flags for Murvagh, Rossnowlagh, Fintra, Narin-Portnoo, Carrickfinn, Marble Hill, Lisfannon, Portsalon, Killahoey, Shroove and Culdaff   2008 BLUE FLAG MARINAS- 2 The marinas awarded for 2007 are:   Westmeath: Killinure Point Marina, Glasson. This marina is managed by the Quigley’s and Waveline. It is located on the inner lakes of Lough Ree on the Shannon. Wexford: Kilmore Quay Marina is operated by Wexford County Council and is our only coastal Blue Flag marina. 2008 GREEN COAST AWARDEES – 33 beaches   Donegal       Ballyhernan Donegal       Drumatinney Donegal       Ladies Bay Donegal       Port Arthur Donegal       Rathmullan Sligo            Dunmoran Strand Sligo            Streedagh Beach   Mayo           Termon, Aughleam Mayo           Srah Mayo           Portacloy   Mayo           Silver Strand Mayo           Whitestrand   Galway        Trá Inis Oirr Galway        East End Bay Galway        Aillebrack Galway        Dog's Bay   Galway City Salthill Galway City Silverstrand Galway City Ballyloughane Galway City Grattan Road   Dublin, Fingal          Rush South Beach Dublin, City             Sandymount Strand Dublin, DL-R Sandycove   Wexford       Ballymoney North Wexford       Old Bawn Beach Wexford       Cahore Point Beach Wexford       Morriscastle Beach Wexford       Ballinesker Wexford       Culleton's Gap Wexford       Cullenstown Strand   Waterford    Woodstown Strand Waterford    Helvick Cove Waterford    The Curragh Beach         ENDS/   Notes:   International Blue Flag Press Release:   The Blue Flag Programme 2008   The International Blue Flag Jury had its annual meeting on 25 April 2008 to decide on Blue Flag candidates from Europe, Morocco, Tunisia and Canada. The International Jury decided to award the Blue Flag to 2585 beaches and 614 marinas in 31 countries in the Northern Hemisphere. For the first time the Blue Flag was awarded in Tunisia, where one marina succeeded in joining the programme. More detailed information about the 2008 awards will be published on the Blue Flag website www.blueflag.org from 5 June.   Every year, the International Blue Flag Coordination conducts a detailed evaluation of selected Blue Flag sites, focusing each time on a slightly different set of spot-check criteria, which is then presented to the International Blue Flag Jury.   This year, selected Blue Flag marina candidates were evaluated in detail to ensure compliance with the criteria concerning the hazardous waste facilities in the marina, the presence of a map indicating all required facilities, fire fighting equipment in the marina and the posting of information about the Individual Blue Flag for Boat Owners which is offered by all Blue Flag marinas. Selected beach candidates were evaluated in detail to ensure the posting of information regarding nearby sensitive areas, the presence of a map indicating all required facilities, and compliance with the water quality criterion regarding limit values and sampling frequency. Also evaluated this year were the presence of the common information board, the composition of the national juries, the outcome of control visits in 2007 and the planning of control visits for 2008.    educationMon, 09 Jun 2008 16:08:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:47