There has been an increase in the number of Blue Flag awards this year, despite storm damage to the Irish coastline.
The Blue Flag and Green Coast awards, which were announced today, showed a total of 134 beaches and marinas met the required standards.
There are 15 more awards this year, compared to last year.
Eight Blue Flags were regained by beaches in Dublin, Wexford and Kerry.
These had been lost through failing to meet water quality last year.
However, five beaches in Mayo, Kerry and Clare lost their flags because of ongoing works to repair damage caused by the storms last spring.
The awards are administered in Ireland by An Taisce in an international scheme that involves more than 60 countries.
The Green Coast award includes beaches that are not designated bathing areas and do not have the infrastructure to qualify for Blue Flags.
There were nine more in this category this year, including beaches in Wexford and Inis Oirr in Galway.
