Irish beach named in Lonely Planet's top 100 world beaches

Keem Bay beach on Achill Island is the only beach in Ireland to be named as one of the top 100 beaches in the world by travel publisher Lonely Planet.

The Achill beauty spot is one of 30 European beaches to get a mention in Lonely Planet’s new book, Best Beaches: 100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches.

Keem Bay is the jewel in the crown of Mayo's tourism destinations and its beauty wowed the Lonely Planet authors who described it as 'vertiginous yet jaw-droppingly beautiful' and 'one of Ireland’s most glorious, secluded strands.

“A vertiginous yet jaw-droppingly beautiful 4.9-mile (8km) drive from Keel village, at the distant western end of County Mayo’s Achill Island, sets the scene for one of Ireland’s most glorious, secluded strands. Sloping green hillsides spill down to a deep-set horseshoe bay, where a Blue-Flag delight of a pale-blonde beach sits framed by the Croaghaun Cliffs (Ireland’s highest sea cliffs) and the thundering moody-blue Atlantic,” wrote Lonely Planet when describing Keem.

Keem Bay has won numerous accolades for its stunning beauty and was one of the locations used during the filming of the Academy Award nominated movie, 'The Banshees of Inisherin'.

The majority of the 30 European beaches included in the Lonely Planet guide are located in sunny southern Europe with four in the UK.

Amongst the other beaches included in the list include the world famous Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Bondi Beach in Sydney, Venice Beach in Los Angeles and Blue Lagoon Beach in Fiji.