Great beaches in Ireland

Ballyrisode Ballyrisode Beach, situated at Toomore in Co Cork, is a sheltered, SAC and NHA designated sandy beach.

Half Moon The bathing area is situated halfway on the South Bull Wall and can be accessed from there. Notably, it is not a beach.

Courtown, North Beach Courtown North beach is an urban fine-sand beach with gentle slopes and backed by well-vegetated dunes. The beach has...

Mullaghroe Beach, Belmullet Mullaghroe Beach, found on the Mullett Peninsula, is an exposed sandy beach with a diverse range of marine habitats, ...

Dollymount Strand Dollymount Strand, located on North Bull Island in Dublin Bay, is the closest large beach to Dublin City Centre. This...

The Cove Greystones A cove with a shingle beach can be found south of Greystones Marina, set amidst a rocky foreshore. Access can be gain...

River Barrow Clashganny The River Barrow, which is a navigation river with weirs and lock gates, has a river bathing area that can be accesse...

Maharabeg Maharabeg Beach is a sheltered, sandy beach facing east/south-east into Tralee Bay, located on the Maharees Peninsula...

Enniscrone Beach Enniscrone Beach is a sandy beach with sand dunes, a caravan park, and a golf course. It is designated as a Special P...

Culletons Gap Culleton's Gap is situated one mile from Curracloe Co Wexford, forming part of the sandy Curracloe stretch overlookin...

Shelling Hill/Templetown Templetown Beach is a spacious, south-facing beach, comprised of sand and shingle. The bathing water is situated in c...

Arklow South Beach Arklow South Beach in Arklow Town is a sandy beach lined with rocks.

Dunmoran Beach Dunmoran Beach is a sandy beach with sand dunes as its backdrop. Though not formally designated, a proposed National ...

Waterville Town Beach Waterville beach borders Ballinskelligs Bay and is situated near the town. The beachfront has been altered to provide...

Old Head Beach, Louisburgh Old Head Beach is a sheltered and sandy beach, backed by rocky cliffs and surrounded by Old Head woodland. The beach ...

Donabate, Balcarrick Beach Donabate Balcarrick beach is a gently sloping and spacious sandy beach that faces south-east, and is surrounded by a ...

Carne Carne is a sandy beach located near Carne pier, facing east towards the Irish Sea with a dune system situated to its ...

Dog's Bay, Roundstone Dog's Bay in Co Galway is a popular destination for summer holidaymakers due to its naturally protected horseshoe-sha...

Barley Cove Barley Cove Beach, situated in Barley Cove Bay, boasts a sheltered south-facing expanse of sand dunes. There is a lar...

Lahinch Lahinch is a sandy beach with strong waves and currents, protected by a rocky barrier to prevent erosion. The bathing...

Beach Guide Ireland Source for water samples and information: the Environmental Protection Agency, users of the site and local municipalities.
Source for weather data: Met Éireann© (CC BY 4.0) Disclaimer: Met Éireann does not accept any liability whatsoever for any error or omission in the data, their availability, or for any loss or damage arising from their use.
Source of satellite-read water temperature: Copernicus Sentinel satellite data from the European Space Agency.