Fingal County Council and the Marine Institute confirmed the turtle appeared to be a leatherback, a species native to Ireland but which typically migrates to warmer waters over winter.
Sightings or strandings are rare at this time of year, but some leatherbacks can become disoriented due to environmental factors such as storms or cold currents.
Leatherback turtles sometimes venture into colder waters near our coast in pursuit of food, mainly jellyfish, which are abundant in the north Atlantic.
A spokesperson for Fingal County Council said it contacted the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) after being notified about the turtle, which was found on Portmarnock Beach by a local woman.
“The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group took stranding bio data from the turtle,” the spokesperson said.
“As per advice from the NPWS, the turtle was buried in situ.”
They also noted that Fingal’s operations team has “no record” of similar sightings on Fingal beaches in the past five years. Such incidents are typically managed in consultation with the NPWS.
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Niamh Griffin, who discovered the turtle, shared pictures of it on social media, writing: “I was very sad to see this poor turtle RIP this morning. Does anyone know what it was or where it might have come from?”
She later contacted Fingal County Council and the Marine Institute.
According to the Marine Institute, leatherback sea turtles, which can grow up to 2 metres long, are “the largest turtles in the world and have the widest distribution”.
“They can be found in both the tropics and cooler waters, and they can be spotted in Irish waters hunting for their favourite food, jellyfish.”
The NPWS noted the main threats to leatherback turtles in Irish waters include becoming entangled in ropes and nets, which can lead to drowning.
However, such entanglements are relatively rare compared to the amount of fishing gear in use.
