IRELAND · COAST

Beaches & Water Quality

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

IRELAND NEWSPAPERIndependent editorial desk
EXPLORE

More sections

← Back to all beaches
DONEGAL • IDENTIFIED BEACH

Magheraroarty

Donegal County Council

Excellent
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 classification · 2025ExcellentLonger-term annual classification
Latest available sampleExcellent10 Aug 2026
E. coli<10Latest sample result
Intestinal enterococci<1Latest sample result
Next monitoring7 Sep 2026EPA schedule where available
Short-term pollution riskYesEPA location profile field

EPA annual assessment

Magheraroarty is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Magheraroarty has achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating for the four consecutive years 2022 to 2025. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.

Annual water quality history

2025Excellent
2024Excellent
2023Excellent
2022Excellent

Recent water samples

DateSample statusE. coliIntestinal enterococci
10 Aug 2026Excellent<10<1
13 Jul 2026Excellent1020
22 Jun 2026Excellent<102
2 Jun 2026Excellent<103
25 May 2026Excellent<104

Facilities & access

Blue FlagNo
Green CoastYes
LifeguardNo
First aidNo
LifebuoyYes
ToiletsYes
ParkingYes
AccessibleNo
Beach wheelchairNo
Public transportNo
Information boardYes
Litter binYes
RecyclingNo
Natural sensitive areaYes

About this bathing water

Magheraroarty is located in a rural area on the North Coast of Donegal, approximately 9 km from the town of Falcarragh. Magheraroarty beach consists of a long sandy beach. It is on a spit of land with the Atlantic Ocean to the West and Ballyness Bay to the East, and the island of Inishbofin to the North. The beach is west facing into the Atlantic Ocean and gets a strong wash of water from the rough sea directly onto the beach. With shifting dunes along the coastline which are backed by vegetated dunes, these are vegetated by Marram Grass. Humid dune slacks occur on the fixed dunes on the Magheraroarty dune system.