The quality of Ireland's bathing water deteriorated significantly last year with a doubling of the number of beaches failing minimum mandatory standards.
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency has found that while beaches on the west coast performed well, the east coast experienced major difficulties, particularly around Dublin.
Read the report in full
While the EPA says Ireland's bathing waters remain of a high quality, more than one in five failed to pass two EU quality tests.
Nine bathing areas, out of a total of 131 tested, were found to have failed EU minimum mandatory standards.
Four of those bathing areas were identified in just one local authority area - Fingal. They were the beaches of Balbriggan, Loughshinny, Malahide and Portrane.
Of the 14 beaches in Dublin local authority areas, only three were found to have passed both EU mandatory values and the stricter analysis known as EU guide values.
The EPA's Dr Michael Lehane said poor weather summer conditions were partly responsible, but he described the results as 'disappointing', adding unless all necessary actions are undertaken the problems will reoccur.
All of Donegal's 19 beaches, Mayo's 15 beaches and Kerry's 15 beaches passed both EU tests.
(Full size map here)
