WATCH: Jellyfish hospitalises swimmers off Galway coast
Members of the public are being warned to be on the lookout for lion’s mane jellyfish spotted in Irish waters.
This warning comes after three people were hospitalised from jellyfish stings last week in Galway.
The jellyfish has been spotted in Irish waters all over the country, appearing larger than normal.
A member of the Galway Swimming Club was taken to A&E for treatment after getting a particularly bad sting, a spokesperson said: “The more swimmers that know about these nasty jellies the better, their sting is really painful.”
Galway Water Safety has issued a warning for swimmers to stay within the designated bathing areas (DBA's) where lifeguards are on hand should they get stung.
"Our advice is to swim at the DBA’s as lifeguards ensure your safety on our beaches and will be patrolling on their surf rescue boards to ensure that they do not pose a threat to members of the public."
Lion's mane jellyfish can reach a diameter of almost 7ft wide with tentacles as long as 190ft, with the colour varying from red to yellow.
They're said to be the largest jellyfish species in the world, found mostly in the Arctic and North Pacific oceans.
The best way to treat a lion's mane sting is rinsing with vinegar to remove the tentacles, followed by immersing the area in 45°C hot water for 40 minutes, according to research from NUI Galway and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa last year.
