Glasson marina retains Blue Flag status

The owners of Quigley’s Marina in Glasson have expressed their delight this week at the news that they have retained the coveted International Blue Flag status for a record 20 years in a row.

Brian and Glenda Quigley, who operate the facility, said the award is down to “hard work and attention to detail” and they are delighted to have once again been recognised as having one of the best marinas in the country by An Taisce in their annual awards.

A total of 159 awards were handed out to beaches and marinas for the 2023 season with 84 beaches and 10 marinas receiving the coveted honour at a special awards ceremony in Dublin on Friday last where the winners were presented with their awards by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien.

“We are very happy to have retained our Blue Flag for 2023 which demonstrates that we are continuing to maintain our high standards,” said Glenda Quigley, who added that there is “a lot of work involved” in completing the application process for the annual awards.

The Blue Flag programme has been in operation since 1988 in Ireland, when a total of 19 flags were awarded. Nationally, 94 Blue Flags were announced this year, with three new beaches being awarded Blue Flag status. All 10 marinas across the country, including Quigley’s Point in Glasson, retained their status for 2023.

Speaking at the An Taisce awards ceremony, Minister Darragh O’Brien said that, during its 36 years of operation the Blue Flag has become an internationally recognised symbol of “high standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety” and the high number of awards made for 2023 is “a testament to the hard work and dedication” of local authorities, An Taisce, local communities and other volunteers around the country.