The fab beach that’s hour from Dublin with soft sand, ice cream & theme park

TAKE a look at this beautiful Irish beach that was awarded the blue flag for the first time in 30 years – and it’s just an hour’s drive from Dublin. 

Bettystown is in Co Meath and is the ideal staycation location, with soft sand, ice cream, and a theme park. 

It is one of Ireland’s most spectacular beaches and is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxed day out.

Bettystown is also the ideal spot for ice cream lovers, who can enjoy the best of casual traders in the busy seaside town.

It has also landed its first Blue Flag since 1996.

Mornington Beach has stunning golden sand and an incredible view of the Maiden Tower.

The tower dates back to the 16th century, during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, and was built as a beacon to aid Sailors navigating their way into Drogheda. 

You can also explore stunning walking trails in Bettystown – with some walks taking up to 8 hours to complete. 

The Boyne Valley Camino is a self-guided 25km looped walk from Drogheda that follows the Boyne through the beautiful Townley Hall woods and via two OPW sites, Mellifont Abbey and Oldbridge House. 

It also goes through the village of Tullyallen, along the Boyne Canal, and returns to Drogheda along the stunning Boyneside Trail.

It was created by the Boyne Valley Walking and Drogheda Walks teams and takes between 6 and 8 hours to complete.

Bettystown also offers delicious meals for any special occasion, from a refreshing retreat from a busy day’s schedule to a relaxing drink from an open fire.

THEME PARK

And Bettystown is located just 30 minutes from Ireland’s only major theme park and zoo, Emerald Park.

Thrill-seekers will love the legendary Cú Chulainn Coaster, while younger adventurers will have the time of their lives on Dino Dash.

Between rollercoaster rides, take a walk on the wild side at Lemur Woods, roll up to Robert Fossett’s Circus Tent or take a spin around the Grand Carousel.

There is an incredible range of attractions, including a petting farm, skywalks, fairy forests, zoo talks, 5D cinema and much more.

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised environmental awards.

It was launched in 1987 and is an internationally recognised award for beach and environment, operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education. 

The Blue Flag Programme requires that beaches being awarded for the upcoming season have achieved Excellent bathing water quality in the most recent annual classification. 

Each site received a classification of ‘good’, the second-highest classification available based on analysis of bathing water samples over the past four bathing seasons. 

This is the 37th year that beaches and marinas have been awarded here in Ireland.  

A central aim of the program is to connect people with their environment.