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Beaches & Water Quality

Beach information, bathing-water quality, coastal conditions, environmental monitoring and practical updates for communities and visitors around Ireland.

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GALWAY • NON-IDENTIFIED BEACH

Clifden Beach

Galway County Council

Not classified
SWIMMING STATUS TODAY

No active EPA restriction shown

EPA alert data last synced 24 Aug 2026, 03:20.

NO ACTIVE ALERT SHOWN
Can I swim here?No active EPA restriction shownCurrent EPA alert/restriction status
Current restrictionNone shown in current EPA alertsThis is not a guarantee of swimming conditions. Always check local signs, lifeguard instructions and the latest official advice at the beach.
Latest sampleExcellentIndividual sample result only
Last tested10 Aug 2026Latest sample stored from EPA

Current restrictions and beach signage take priority over annual classifications and individual sample results. Conditions can change between samples.

Annual EPA classificationNot classifiedLonger-term annual classification
Latest available sampleExcellent10 Aug 2026
E. coli183Latest sample result
Intestinal enterococci15Latest sample result
Next monitoringEPA schedule where available
Short-term pollution riskEPA location profile field

Annual water quality history

Recent water samples

DateSample statusE. coliIntestinal enterococci
10 Aug 2026Excellent18315
15 Jul 2026Excellent<102
13 Jul 2026Excellent203
15 Jun 2026Excellent105
27 May 2026Excellent106

Facilities & access

Blue FlagNo
Green CoastNo
LifeguardNo
First aidNo
LifebuoyNo
ToiletsYes
ParkingYes
AccessibleNo
Beach wheelchairNo
Public transportNo
Information boardYes
Litter binNo
RecyclingNo
Natural sensitive areaYes

About this bathing water

Clifden Beach is a small sheltered sandy beach located close to Clifden Town, 78kms to the west of Galway City on the shores of Clifden Bay. The bathing area is located down a narrow road called “The Beach Road” beside Clifden Boat Club and the RNLI Station. It is divided from a rocky shore and a mooring facility by a small grassy headland. There is a small seating area overlooking the rocky shore.Clifden Beach had been an identified/regulated bathing water and was monitored and managed under the terms of the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations. Clifden Beach was declassified in 2021 due to Poor water quality - it had been classified as Poor for five consecutive years (2016 to 2020). Clifden Beach is no longer an identified/regulated bathing water, but continues to be monitored by Galway County Council as an other monitored water.