Ireland’s epic coastal connections celebrated at 2025 Love Your Coast photography awards

Last Friday (18th) Clean Coasts announced the winning photographers of the 2025 Love Your Coast photography competition.

Running for its 16th year, the award ceremony held in the EPIC museum, Dublin, showcased the Irish Coast in all its wonder, celebrating the immense beauty and heritage of the coast and waterways that Clean Coasts’ volunteers work tirelessly to protect.

This year over 560 photographers entered a total of 1,178 photos for a placement in the top three in one of five categories and their share of the €5,000 prize fund and for a shot at the coveted title of Photographer of the Year.

The five distinct categories this year focused on showcasing the interconnectedness of Ireland’s waterways and how people, place and nature all connect with our vital blue spaces, be it by the beach, lake, or river.

Two new categories were introduced this year to highlight this theme of Connection; Connecting with the Coast, and Source to Sea, alongside firm competition favourites of Coastal Landscape, Wildlife and The Coast, and Underwater.

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: 

Connecting to the Coast Category and Overall Winner Maria Quigley with Embrace The Water taken at Coliemore Harbour Co Dublin. 2025

This year, Dublin photographer Maria Quigley’s photograph, “Embrace the Water” (above) was named the overall winner of the Clean Coasts 2025 Love Your Coast photography competition.

With her photo also taking first place in the new ‘Connecting with the Coast’ category.

Beautifully capturing how one man connects with the coast, this striking photo snapped at sunrise on a freezing January morning at Coliemore Harbour in Dublin, immortalises a moment that radiates both the sting of cold and the calm release of a daily ritual.

The photo dreamily illustrates the subject Bobby, in the golden soft morning light during his daily swim.

Maria explains the process of capturing her photo “I took this photo on January 9th 2025, when the sea was 7°C and ice covered the slipway.

Bobby, swims daily in the morning time all year-round, usually at Coliemore Harbour, his favourite spot. He says that missing a swim ruins his day. I was lucky to take the photo as the sun was rising at that time.”

First place winners in all five categories are as follows: 

• Coastal Landscape: Seán Bruen with “Balbriggan Lighthouse Blowing a Gale”, taken at Lambeecher, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
• Connecting with the Coast: Maria Quigley’s photo “Embrace the Water” taken in Coliemore Harbour, Dalkey, Co. Dublin
• Wildlife and the Coast: Tom Ormond’s photo entitled “Humpback Whale”, taken at Donegal Bay Co. Donegal.
• Underwater: Mark O’Leary’s photo “The Giants” captured at Loop Head Co. Clare
• Source to Sea: Helen Black with “Let there be Light”, taken at Glendasan, Co.Wicklow

Source to Sea Category Winner Helen Black with Let there be Light taken in Glendasan Co.Wicklow. 2025

Underwater Category Winner Mark O Leary with The Giants taken in Co Clare. 2025

Wildlife and the Coast Category Winner Tom Ormond with Humpback Whale taken in Donegal Bay. 2025

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has been proud to support the “Love Your Coast” Awards for many years.

Love Your Coast provides a powerful forum for Ireland’s most creative photographers to showcase our spectacular and beautiful coast and seas.

The visual legacy that has been built up over the years will provide a powerful record for the future.

Support for this inspiring programme is transferring to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment who welcome and look forward to ongoing engagement with An Taisce  in the coming years.

Clean Coasts is also sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority.

Initiatives from associated Clean Coasts groups and the Green Coast Awards act as custodians for Ireland’s beaches, seas, and marine life.

These initiatives ensure that our beautiful coastline and beaches are maintained and managed appropriately for visitors and local communities to continue to responsibly enjoy.

An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme Manager, Bronagh Moore said “The Love Your Coast photography competition, has once again received outstanding submissions which is a testament to the hugely talented photographers we have in Ireland and how they can so creatively capture the stunning beauty of our coastline and waterways.

“We introduced two new categories this year to highlight our unique connection to the water and its journey from source to sea, and it proved to be hugely popular.

“You can see from the beauty of the photographs, why our community groups are so motivated and work tirelessly to care for and protect our coastline, marine life and waterways.”

The Love Your Coast photography competition aims to promote connection to Ireland’s coastal beauty and character, as captured through the lens of talented photographers who take part in the competition year after year. An Taisce, Clean Coasts and our competition supporters wish to congratulate all the winning and shortlisted photographers and thank them for being part of this year’s competition.