Galway City Council, in partnership with Clean Coasts Ireland and Galway Atlantaquaria, celebrated Love Your Beach 2026 over an educational and fun-filled three-days (12-15 May), with the programme including: Circus 250 – an environmental circus act; sand dune and coastal erosion workshops; and for the second year running, yoga on Silverstrand with local yoga instructor Eva Du from Rise Awild. The event is a celebration of Galway’s city beaches, taking place in the two Blue Flag beaches of Ladies Beach, Salthill, and Silverstrand.
Love Your Beach 2026 launched on Grattan Beach, with students from Claddagh NS, Scoil Fhursa and Scoil Íde taking part in a hands-on beach clean and educational workshops on marine life delivered by educators from University of Galway, Atlantaquaria, Clean Coasts, and marine NGO CuriOcean. The children also learned to juggle, as part Circus 250’s ‘Fishy N’ Dishy’ ocean awareness workshops.
Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr. Mike Cubbard commented, “Our beaches are important natural assets, and biodiversity habitats, with varied marine and coastal life. Galway City is privileged to have such great amenities on our doorstep, with the coast playing an important role in the lives of people of Galway City. It is wonderful to see so many local schools involved in Love Your Beach 2026, as this engagement really nurtures an appreciation of our coastal habitats in our younger generation"’.
As part of Love Your Beach 2026, a Toy Library was constructed on Grattan Beach – delivering one of the outcomes of the recent ‘Salthill Litter Study’’. This circular initiative, led by An Taisce’s Climate Ambassador Programme, and supported by Galway City Council, helps reduce plastic waste and unnecessary purchases. The motto of “Borrow, Play and Return” allows unwanted toys to be reused - preventing them from being abandoned or thrown away, or ending up in the ocean.
Fergal Cushen, Environmental Awareness Officer, Galway City Council, said, “Love Your Beach is a great opportunity to showcase our wonderful city beaches, with a diverse programme encompassing a circular economy initiative in the Toy Library; marine wildlife education; an educational circus act; and yoga. These events capture the imagination, especially for younger students, and enable them to be the future custodians of our beaches.”
The final day of Love Your Beach 2026 featured a community yoga session at Silverstrand Beach, which for the second year running, drew a significant crowd of participants - taking in the sights and sounds of Galway Bay, with the sand between their toes. The session was led by Eva Du from Rise Awild and welcomed people of all ages and experience levels.
Galway City Council would like to thank all the schools, students, teachers, volunteers, and partner organisations who took part in this year’s Love Your Beach event. These three days showcased the very best of community spirit, environmental stewardship, and appreciation for Galway’s coastal beauty.