Galway blue flag beach at centre of watersports ban row as council claims inaccurate information being circulated
Galway City Council has claimed that inaccurate information is being circulated in local media about a watersports ban at a popular beach in the county.
It comes as the Galway Water Sports group appeals to the local authority to “follow best practice” and implement a management system that would allow certain watersports at the beach in question in Barna, Co Galway.
In July 2025, signs were erected along Silverstrand beach in Barna, banning certain activities, including windsurfing, kitesurfing, mechanically powered watercraft and surf craft.
Galway City Water Sports told the Irish Independent that kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and canoeing could be interpreted as falling under the ban, which, they believe, would not be conducive to maintaining the beach’s Blue Flag status.
Silverstrand has held a Blue Flag status since 2006, recognising it as a multi-use site for safety, amenities, sustainability and accessibility.
This week, Galway City Council issued a statement seeking to clarify what it described as “a number of inaccuracies currently being reported in the media.”
However, Galway Water Sports also issued a statement, saying its request is simple: to respect the Blue Flag status by relocating an existing flagpole to clearly define a swimming zone and a watersports zone, alongside maps communicating the same.
Blue Flag criteria require qualifying beaches to have a management plan in place for “different users and uses”, including specific “zoning for swimmers, surfers, and windsurfers”.
Galway City Water Sports said: “We are requesting that Galway City Council follow best international practice and implement a Blue Flag-compliant beach management and zoning plan.”
Silverstrand is one of Galway’s most popular beaches for both locals and tourists. It is also a Designated Bathing Area (DBA), subject to a risk assessment every three years to maintain Blue Flag eligibility.
Galway City Council said the most recent risk assessment recommended the bans but did not include SUP, bodyboarding, canoeing or kayaking, “contrary to other public information in circulation”.
However, the council’s Silverstrand Code of Conduct states the DBA is “strictly for bathing”, specifying that SUP and kayaks are prohibited within the bathing area.
The council also said it contacted various watersports groups and relevant bodies in August 2025 to discuss signage and safety measures, but only three of seven invitations were accepted.
Freedom of Information documents from a 2017 Silverstrand DBA risk assessment conducted by Water Safety Ireland, seen by the Irish Independent, recommended that “clear zoning needs to be put in place to identify where the lifeguards patrol, where it is best and safest to swim, and where other beach activities can take place.”
However, Galway Water Sport believes they were not implemented then. “If the zoning was implemented by Galway City Council,” Galway Water Sports said, “the current issue with the watersports ban at the beach would have been prevented.”
Proposals include setting parameters for launch and swimmer zones, with a request that 50m of the 250m beach be designated for sport launching.
Galway City Council has argued that the 200m width of the beach is too small to safely accommodate multiple activities. However, its website describes the beach as 250m, though 50m of it comprises of a rocky shoreline.
Suggested distincition on Silverstrand Beach. Photo by: Brian Coll with Galway City Water Sport
Galway City Water Sports has proposed designating a 50m area beside the rocky shoreline as a launch zone for approved watersports, while maintaining the remainder of the beach as a “bathing only” area.
In recent correspondence with Galway Water Sport, Galway City Council provided documents from an environmental assessment of the rocky shoreline carried out by MERC Environmental Consultants.
This deemed such access plans not feasible as the report concluded that creating “safe and functional access” for watersports users would “give rise to likely significant effects on the site specific Conservation Objectives”.
The report also considered the impact of installing a raised access ramp or slipway. Galway Water Sports said this would be “entirely unnecessary and significantly undermine the relevance and usefulness of the report’s conclusion.”
Consultation took place between the local authority’s SPC, stakeholders and watersports groups in November 2025.
At present, Galway City Council has committed to “explore and assess alternative locations where water sports activities could potentially be accommodated along Galway Bay.”