Water Safety

Beach Warning Flags

Beach Warning Flags are flown at guarded beaches while the Lifeguards are on duty.

Warning Flags include:

• Red Flag: Dangerous for bathing.
• Red/Yellow Flag: Lifeguards on duty.
• No Flag: No Lifeguards on duty.

Rip Currents

Rips are strong currents running out to sea, which can quickly drag people and debris away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.

How to Identify Rip Currents

Look for any of these clues:

• A channel of churning, choppy water.
• An area having a notable difference in water colour.
• A line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward.
• A break in the incoming wave pattern.
  None, one, or more of the above clues may indicate the presence of rip currents. Rip currents are often not readily or easily identifiable to the average beachgoer. For your safety, be aware of this major surf zone hazard. Polarised sunglasses make it easier to see the rip current clues provided above.

Further information on Rip Currents available at the following link: https://watersafety.ie/rip-currents/ 

Out of Season Bathing – Know the Risks

Open water swimming, at sea or in lakes and rivers, has both physical and mental health benefits for us all. During the colder seasons, there are increased risks of water-borne illness, due to less favourable water quality resulting from increased rainfall and lower UV light outside of summer.

Further information can be found by clicking on the below PDF or visiting this link: https://www.beaches.ie/out-of-season-bathing-know-the-risks-infographic/

out-of-season-bathing-57024.pdf

Emergency Numbers

If you see someone in difficulty:

• Always tell an on-duty Lifeguard.
• Or if you can't see a Lifeguard CALL 999 / 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish can pose a danger at bathing locations. Always listen to the advice of the lifeguards on the beach regarding jellyfish.

For further information visit Irish Water Safety's Advice and Precautions page at https://watersafety.ie/recreation or click here. 

Some commonly found Jellyfish in Irish Waters:

Ringbuoys

Galway County Council provides Ringbuoys throughout the County of Galway and County Council owned Ringbuoys are regularly inspected and monitored by Council staff in all Municipal Districts. 

The extreme weather conditions along the Atlantic coast occasionally results in coastal erosion and creates the necessity to replace ringbuoys and safety information signage when necessary at certain locations.  

If there are any reports of missing or damaged ringbuoys, rope, attachments etc, please log this on www.watersafety.ie/ringbuoys