Beach information, bathing-water quality, coastal conditions, environmental monitoring and practical updates for communities and visitors around Ireland.
Ireland continues to have overwhelmingly high bathing-water standards, with 98 per cent of officially designated sites meeting the required standard in the latest national…
Read articleClare County Council
EPA alert data last synced 24 Aug 2026, 03:20.
Current restrictions and beach signage take priority over annual classifications and individual sample results. Conditions can change between samples.
Cappagh Pier, Kilrush is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Cappagh Pier, Kilrush achieved and Excellent Water Quality rating in 2024 and a Good Water Quality rating in 2023 and 2022. 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.
| Date | Sample status | E. coli | Intestinal enterococci |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 10 |
| 20 Jul 2026 | Excellent | 30 | 10 |
| 13 Jul 2026 | Excellent | 10 | <10 |
| 6 Jul 2026 | Good | 259 | 20 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 132 | 10 |
| 8 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 10 | <10 |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 10 | <10 |
| 25 May 2026 | Excellent | <10 | <10 |
Cappagh is a rocky beach with stones of up to 30cm and is located on the northern side of the small pier. Due to the stony nature of the beach, the number of plants and animals, which are found on the shoreline, is low, however there is a substantial bird population. Cappagh lies in the Lower River Shannon Special Area of Conservation (SAC 2165). Activities include swimming and bird watching. Beach bye-laws are in place with horse riding and dogs prohibited between 11am and 6pm during the summer season.
Managed by Clare County Council.
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