79 Irish beaches and six marinas have been awarded Blue Flag awards this year, down one on last year.
A total of 141 awards were presented by Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney at an event in Dublin today.
"We are particularly fortunate to have a varied and beautiful coastline with many pristine beaches that are open to the public to enjoy," Mr Coveney said.
"However, we cannot rest on our laurels and must continue to make strident efforts to protect and improve our waters. This will ensure that we, and future generations, can continue to enjoy this wonderful resource."
Among the recipients of Blue Flags are Ballymoney North Beach in Wexford, winning the award for the first time.
Brittas Bay North in Co Wicklow regained the Blue Flag it lost last year while Fenit Marina in Co Kerry has been awarded the Blue Flag for the first time.
Three beaches that received Blue Flags in 2015, Redbarn and Garretstown in Co Cork and Portrane in Dublin, did not this year meet the excellent water quality standard required for Blue Flag status.
Ross Strand in Co Mayo was not awarded the Blue Flag due to there being less lifeguard cover than advised during in-season control visits.
The awards are administered in Ireland by An Taisce in an international scheme that involves more than 60 countries.
