New Donegal Coastal Location Safety Initiative aims to save lives

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Donegal County Council, in partnership with the Irish Coast Guard, has launched a new Coastal Location Code (CLC) Pilot Project aimed at improving emergency response times and enhancing public safety along the county\'s coastline.

The official launch of the pilot project took place at Narin Blue Flag Beach on Thursday, 27 August 2026 at 2.00 p.m.

Developed by Donegal County Council\'s Environment Section in consultation with the Irish Coast Guard, the initiative introduces a simple but effective location identification system designed to help emergency services rapidly pinpoint coastal locations during incidents and emergencies.

A Unique Code for Every Location

The Coastal Location Code system assigns a unique identifying code to selected coastal access points and beaches. New signage has been installed at pilot locations displaying:

 	
A unique Coastal Location Code (CLC)
 	
The beach or location name
 	
Emergency contact numbers (999 and 112)
 	
Instructions to "Ask for the Coast Guard"

In the event of an emergency, members of the public can provide the Coastal Location Code displayed on the sign when contacting the Coast Guard. This enables responders to immediately identify the precise location requiring assistance, helping to reduce delays and improve response coordination.

'
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The Irish Coast Guard has fully endorsed the project and has confirmed that the introduction of a coastal numbering system would provide significant operational benefits in locating casualties and coordinating emergency response resources.

While modern smartphones may often transmit location information automatically through Advanced Mobile Location (AML) technology, this service is not always available or reliable. Factors such as poor mobile coverage, incompatible devices, roaming issues, absence of a SIM card, or disabled location settings can affect the accuracy or availability of location data.

The Coastal Location Code system provides a straightforward and dependable alternative that can be used by anyone, regardless of mobile phone type or technology limitations.

Pilot Locations

The initial phase of the project has been introduced at six popular coastal locations across Donegal:

 	
Tramore Beach
 	
Stroove Blue Flag Beach
 	
Downings Blue Flag Beach
 	
Killahoey Blue Flag Beach
 	
Narin Blue Flag Beach
 	
Bundoran Blue Flag Beach

The numbering system begins at Stroove and progresses anticlockwise around the Donegal coastline towards the Leitrim border.'
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flexible_blocks_1_small_image_caption => 'Representatives from Donegal County Council, the Irish Coast Guard, An Garda Síochána, National Ambulance Service, Donegal Fire Service and Water Safety Ireland pictured at Narin Blue Flag Beach for the launch of the Coastal Location Code (CLC) Pilot Project. The initiative introduces unique location codes at key coastal sites to support faster emergency response and enhance public safety along Donegal’s coastline.'
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The Coastal Location Code system will enhance public safety by helping emergency services identify coastal locations quickly and accurately. It will support improved coordination between emergency response agencies, increase public awareness of coastal safety, and provide a potential model for a national coastal location identification system.

Background
The Coastal Location Code Pilot Project originated following a motion brought before Donegal County Council by Cllr Brian Carr in the aftermath of a serious coastal incident involving members of his family in 2025. The experience highlighted the challenges emergency services can face when trying to quickly identify and access precise coastal locations during emergencies.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, Garry Martin, acknowledged the role played by Cllr Carr in bringing the concept forward. He said;
“Whilst that incident, thankfully had a happy ending, it did highlight the challenges emergency services can face when trying to quickly identify the exact location of a coastal emergency. Time lost, even just a few minutes, through imprecise or incorrect location information, can have fatal consequences.”
Cllr Carr, for whom this initiative is very personal, also spoke at the launch, reflecting on his family\'s experience and the importance of taking practical steps to improve coastal safety. He stated:
"I was delighted that following the incident in the sea involving my family last year, I was able to bring a motion to Donegal County Council calling for the council to look into developing a system of codes for beaches, piers and coastal areas to help emergency services locate incidents quickly. I’m very thankful to the Council for getting behind the idea so quickly and for working closely with the Coast Guard to develop the Coastal Location Codes pilot project. It’s fantastic to see an idea that came from a very personal experience now becoming a reality that I hope will help make our coastline safer for everyone".
The pilot project demonstrates Donegal County Council\'s ongoing commitment to enhancing public safety and protecting the many residents and visitors who enjoy Donegal\'s coastline each year. Findings from the pilot phase will help inform any future expansion of the system across additional coastal locations and may contribute to the development of a broader national approach to coastal location identification.'
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