Now in its 17th year, the Love Your Coast competition continues to attract hundreds of photographers from across the country.
This year, the competition has been aligned with Valentine’s Day to inspire photographers to truly fall in love with the Irish coast and capture its breathtaking beauty, character, and the reasons it is so deserving of care and protection.
This year, Clean Coasts encourages photographers to consider the theme of impact when they take to the coast to snap their photos, as the lens through which they explore the ever-evolving relationship between people, nature, and the coast. The theme invites reflection on both the positive and negative ways our oceans, waterways, lakes and shorelines are shaped by human activities and natural forces, and how these environments, in turn, can impact our lives, wellbeing, and communities. From conservation and care to pollution and climate pressures, they’re encouraging photographers to capture how these vital blue spaces are impacted by our actions, and how time spent along the coast impacts those who visit them.
Offering an overall prize fund of €5000 for category winners, Love Your Coast offers photographers the opportunity to showcase their talent across five distinct areas.
Entries open on Valentine’s Day, February 14th 2026, and close on May 15th 2026.
