Coastal codes branch out to six Donegal beaches - Donegal Daily

Six Donegal beaches now have new emergency codes to help rescuers find people faster.The new Coastal Code signs have been installed at Tramore, Stroove, Downing...

Six Donegal beaches now have new emergency codes to help rescuers find people faster.

The new Coastal Code signs have been installed at Tramore, Stroove, Downings, Killahoey, Narin and Bundoran as part of a pilot project.

Each sign shows an identifier code for the beach and emergency contact numbers.

The numbering system begins at Stroove and progresses anticlockwise around the Donegal coastline towards the Leitrim border.

Cllr Michael Mc Mahon with Kevin Mc Closkey Coastal Officer & Beach Lifeguard Cealum Mc Nulty at Bundoran beach after the Launch of the Coastal Location Code project.

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

The system, which launched last week, could also be expanded to more coastal locations across the county in time.

The official launch of the pilot project took place at Narin Blue Flag Beach last Thursday.

The 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.

At the time, emergency services had huge difficulty in locating Cllr Carr and the members of his family.

Cllr Carr's first motion on return to work after the incident was to call 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," he said.

"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."

Donegal pop artist continues breakout year with moving new single

High-speed broadband rolled out to 1,900 customers in Donegal Town

Pictured at the launch of Donegal County Council’s Coastal Location Code (CLC) Pilot Project at Narin Blue Flag Beach are L-R Deputy Chief Executive of Donegal County Council Garry Martin, Cllr. Michael McMahon, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Cllr. Gary Doherty, Cathaoirleach of Glenties Municipal District Cllr. Anthony Molloy, Cllr John Shéamais Ó Fearraigh and Cllr. Brian Carr

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.”

A council spokesperson said that the pilot project, developed by Donegal County Council's Environment Section in consultation with the Irish Coast Guard, demonstrates the 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.

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.

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 on Thursday, 27 August 2026