Old Head Beach, Louisburgh is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Old Head Beach, Louisburgh 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.

Old Head Beach is a sheltered beach with a sandy substrate. The length of the beach at Old Head is backed by rocky cliffs. Old Head woodland is located approximately 200m to the rear of Old Head Beach. This SAC represents an extreme development of Atlantic oakwood and is one of the only Irish sites where the habitat occurs directly adjacent to the coast. In close proximity to Old Head Beach is Old Head SAC/pNHA (Site Code 000532). Croagh Patrick is a site of pilgrimage with the annual pilgrimage taking place on the last Sunday in July. Activities include swimming, surfing, water skiing, jet skiing, scuba-diving/snorkelling and fishing. The bathing water is approximately 0.3km2 in area. The medium and maximum water depth within the designated bathing water would be 0.5m and 5.0m respectively depending on tides.