24 July 2024
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
These Are The Best Beaches in Ireland For Food Lovers This Summer, According to Experts
As many prepare for summer staycations and days out across Ireland, seafood lovers and all-round foodies will be delighted to discover that they don’t need to venture far from home for a memorable culinary experience.
But where exactly do we need to travel to guarantee the freshest and most tasty coastal delicacies? New data from recipe box delivery company, HelloFresh Ireland, reveals all.
Best Irish Beaches For a Foodie Day Out
|
Beach |
County |
Score out of 100 |
|
Bundoran Beach |
Donegal |
100 |
|
Enniscrone Beach |
Sligo |
97.5 |
|
Inchydoney Beach |
Cork |
97.5 |
|
Garretstown Beach |
Cork |
96.0 |
|
Dog’s Bay Beach |
Galway |
95.7 |
|
Clifden Beach |
Galway |
95.5 |
|
Bertra Beach |
Mayo |
92.2 |
|
Strandhill Beach |
Sligo |
91.9 |
|
Killahoey Beach |
Donegal |
91.7 |
|
Keem Bay |
Mayo |
90.7 |
By analysing beach ratings (out of 5, from Google, TripAdvisor and similar), % of top-rated restaurants nearby (TripAdvisor), % of seafood restaurants, mean temperature (C, 2023 Met Eireann) and total rainfall (mm, 2023 Met Eireann), HelloFresh Ireland have discovered the best beaches to visit this summer.
The research shows that Bundoran Beach and Enniscrone Beach have the greatest proportion of top-rated restaurants nearby, with 28% of restaurants in each location receiving impressive ratings of 5 out of 5.
HelloFresh Ireland looked at local delicacies available in each beach destination. Proximity to water means that a variety of seafood is available in each location – like Skerries prawns (Skerries South Beach), Braymore oysters (Bray Beach), Lahinch Lobster (Lahinch Beach), Westport crab claws (Bertra Beach), Ardmore scallops (Ardmore Beach) and Youghal Bay mussels (Youghal Bay).
Cape Clear Beach has the largest proportion of seafood restaurants nearby, with 67% of eateries offering delicious and fresh seafood.
Special mention also goes to Claremont Beach and Skerries South Beach in Dublin, which both have a beach rating of 4.4 stars. Claremont Beach has an impressive 226 5* rated restaurants to choose from and Skerries boasts 2.5km of sandy beach and stunning coastal walks. If you’re in the Dublin area this summer, Portmarnock Beach is an ideal location to enjoy a picnic, or a stroll along the 8 km stretch.
HelloFresh Ireland’s Head of Culinary, Hannah Duxbury, commented: “Visiting the best beaches Ireland has to offer is a must-do while enjoying the sunshine during the summer. Our island boasts a number of seaside hotspots, and when it comes to food and their seafood is a must.
“Consider every bite an adventure through Ireland’s food haven, whether you’re sampling delicious Braymore oysters or Youghal Bay mussels, there is a seafood dish for everyone!
“Ireland is a beautiful country boasting plenty of 5 star restaurants right on the beach, so don’t worry if you’re not going abroad this year, you’ll find a treasure close to home.”
For seafood recipes you can cook at home and pescetarian meal delivery options, see HelloFresh Ireland’s website.