The South West is home to six of the top ten beaches in Ireland according to TripAdvisor, who revealed their annual travellers’ choice list of the best beaches by country, by region and in the world overall this week.
As tomorrow is the first day of Spring it is natural that we are looking forward to balmy days on the beach. To those of us who live on the Wild Atlantic Way in the toe of Ireland in West Cork and Kerry this is not a surprise – we know we live in a very special part of the world! As far as Ireland is concerned, Banna Strand, a short drive from Tralee, claimed the top spot, fighting off competition from Inchydoney Beach in Clonakilty, previously named Ireland’s best beach for three years running has this year dropped to the No.2 spot. Derrynane Beach and Inch Beach, both in Kerry, also warranted a mention in the top five alongside Strandhill Beach in Sligo, only a few miles from Sligo town.
There was no room for any Irish beaches in the top 25 beaches in Europe (La Concha Beach in San Sebastian in Spain came out on top), while Baia Do Sancho Beach in Brazil was named as the best beach in the world.
TripAdvisor’s top ten beaches in Ireland 2017
Banna Strand – Kerry
Inchydoney Beach – Clonakilty, Cork
Derrynane Beach – Caherdaniel, Kerry
Inch Beach – Inch, Kerry
Strandhill Beach – Strandhill, Sligo
Coumeenoole Beach – Dingle, Kerry
Barleycove Beach – Schull, Cork
Curracloe Beach – Curracloe, Wexford
Narin Beach – Portnoo, Donegal
Dog’s Bay Beach – Roundstone, Galway
Travellers’ Choice award-winners are determined based on traveller reviews gathered over a 12-month period, TripAdvisor says. Surprisingly perhaps, there are no beaches from counties Mayo, Clare or Waterford on its 2017 list… not to mention Wicklow, Dublin, Meath or Louth. At least two of the Irish beaches are film stars in their own right, Curracloe was used for the D-Day landing scenes in “Saving Private Ryan” and Strandhill in Sligo was the backdrop for the powerful independent movie, “Cavalry.” Mind you, the biggest film star is still Skellig Michael which featured in the finale of the last Star Wars movie and the next Star Wars.
In the world ranking, Brazil’s Baia do Sancho topped the poll, with Grace Bay in the Caribbean’s Turks and Caicos placing second. La Concha in San Sebastian, Spain, was voted Europe’s best beach, followed by Elafonissi Beach in Elafonissi, Crete.
So come and visit us soon, especially in West Cork, and discover for yourself why in Ireland Life is a Beach!
The Skibbereen Eagle
Today, powered by its readers and contributors, from its cyber eyries in Ireland and the centres of the Irish Diaspora The Eagle casts its Cold Eye on Life and Death and much in between.
Latest posts by The Skibbereen Eagle (see all)
- Big Tom and his Mammy - April 20, 2018
- Farewell Nomzamo - April 2, 2018
- Labour anti-Semitism – the morning after - March 27, 2018
The Skibbereen Eagle commented on Mar 27, 2018
Some of the comments posted to Jeremy Corbyn's facebook statement of yesterday. Thanks to Mark Persoff for compiling: “Its ...