A photograph taken on Laytown Beach by Christine Taylor was among the top ten images in the People and the Coast, category of the 2023 Clean Coasts Love Your Coast Photography Competition. Christine’s photograph, which she titled “Flat Out”, was taken at Laytown races last September.
“It is one of my favourite days of the year combining my love of horses, the challenge of capturing the action and the most beautiful backdrop of pristine sea and sand. The setting is stunning and it lifts my spirits to spend time at Laytown Beach.“
Now in its 14th year, the Love Your Coast photography competition has a prize fund of €6,000 and attracted over 1,300 entries from hundreds of photographers all around Ireland this year.
The overall “Photographer of the Year” award was won by Stephen Dunbar, with his “Humpback Feeding” image which was captured in Broadhaven Bay, Co. Mayo which also won first place in the Wildlife and the Coast category.
In 2023, Clean Coasts celebrated its 20th anniversary. Since 2003, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. Since 2010, the Love Your Coast photography competition has been a celebration of all the beauty and uniqueness of the Irish coast that Clean Coasts volunteers work to protect.
As part of its commitments under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive and OSPAR’s Marine Litter Action Plan, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is proud to support An Taisce’s ‘Clean Coasts Programme’, in its enthusiastic engagement with marine communities in relation to marine litter and in heightening public awareness and influencing positive behaviour among civil society.
Clean Coasts is also sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority. The Green Coast Awards and associated Clean Coasts groups act as custodians for the beaches, seas, and marine life in Ireland, ensuring that they are managed appropriately and that they are litter and pollution free for our visitors to enjoy.
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“Humpback Feeding”, the amazing photo taken in Broadhaven Bay, Co. Mayo by Stephen Dunbar, won the “Photographer of the Year” title and 1st place in the Wildlife and the Coast category.
“Love Your Coast’s mission extends beyond a mere photography competition,” stated Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager. “Our coastal and marine environment form an integral part of Ireland’s identity. Through this competition, we invite the people in Ireland to appreciate, celebrate, and safeguard our coast, echoing the dedication of our over 2,000 volunteer groups working tirelessly to protect our marine environment.”
The Love Your Coast photography competition stands as a testament to Ireland’s coastal beauty and character, encapsulated through the lens of photographers who take part in the competition year after year. Clean Coasts wants to congratulate all the winning and shortlisted photographers and thank them for being part of this year’s celebrations.
