You won’t find better than Kerry beaches!

IT’S official - if you want to swim in clean waters amid stunning scenery you’ll have to travel far before finding better than Kerry’s beaches.

15 of the county’s top beaches were given an enviable bill of health by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the pristine quality of their waters.

Our slice of the Wild Atlantic Way now offers a gold standard when it comes to selling the county as a result of the report.

To achieve the ‘Excellent’ mark our beaches had to pass the highest standards anywhere in the world.

They did so with flying colours, despite the fact the criteria were made even more strict in recent years.

Mayor of Kerry John Brassil welcomed the news on Tuesday saying he had no doubt it would bring even more visitors in for the summer - provided the weather continues to play its part.

15 beaches in all achieved the distinction: Ballybunion Ladies’; Ballybunion Mens’; Fenit; Maharabeg; Castlegregory; Ventry; Inch; Rossbeigh; Kells; Cahersiveen ( White Strand); the Inny Strand in Waterville; Ballinskelligs and Derrynane.

“As Mayor of Kerry I am delighted to welcome the findings of this report,” John Brassil told The Kerryman.

“This status is crucial to the tourism our coastal resorts are dependant on and will make the county even more attractive to visitors,” he said.

Predictions for the summer tourism trade are already more positive than in many years with Tuesday’s EPA announcement serving to further boost hopes.

“We can look forward to a bumper summer now from Ballybunion and Ballyheigue in North Kerry to Waterville and Derrynane down south as these results show people exactly how safe our waters are.

“The bathing water had to pass some of the most exacting standards anywhere and great credit is due Kerry County Council’s outdoor staff and the communities that are working hard to keep their areas clean.”

The EPA based their findings on four years’ of sampling. It is thought that last year’s dry summer played a positive role in this with little run-off from the land washing pollutants out.