Four Dublin beaches have been named as litter blackspots in Ireland.
The Tolka River at Annesley Bridge, Skerries Beach, Killiney Beach, and Grand Canal Dock made it onto the list of "moderately littered" and "littered", according to a new survey.
The latest IBAL coastal study found that the majority of the country's beaches and harbours fell short of clean status.
While 40% of 32 coastal areas surveyed were deemed "clean to European norms", there was a rise in areas branded "littered".
The Tolka River at Annesley Bridge in Fairview was classified as "littered" - the only Dublin beach in that category.
Meanwhile, Skerries Beach, Killiney Beach, and Grand Canal Beach were categorised as "moderately littered".
But none of Dublin's beaches made it onto the "heavily littered" list which included Cork Harbour (Blackrock Castle) and White Bay Beach in Cork.
Just two beaches were classified as "clean to European norms" with Dun Laoghaire Harbour and Portmarnock Beach making it onto the list.
Conor Horgan of IBAL said: "The story is a positive one in that we’ve seen a welcome rise in the number of clean beaches and harbours compared to our study of 2 years ago.
"This is especially encouraging given the number of people who are staycationing and availing of our coastal amenities this year. There is evidence that many local authorities have upped their game in terms of additional bins, facilities, and signage.”
