Beach · County Galway
Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach
Can I swim here? Outside the bathing season
The bathing season runs from 1 June to 15 September. Outside it the water is not tested weekly and lifeguards are not on duty. The last sample, on 7 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
<p dir="LTR" align="LEFT">Aillebrack/Silverhill is a beautiful sandy beach located on the Ballyconneely Peninsula in County Galway. The beach is located approximately 5 km west of the village of Ballyconneely and is accessed by a local road L1106. The area consists of several sandy strands and rocky headlands and its main aspect is to the south. The longest stretch of strand is approximately 340m. A golf course is located to the north and a caravan and camping site is located to the west. It has been awarded a Green Coast Award for many years in recognition of its excellent water quality and community involvement in the management of the area.
Excellent (2025): The highest standard: results over four years were consistently very clean.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Not classified | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No | |
| Parking | No | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | Public rescue equipment including 4 ring buoys are provided at regular intervals along the beach. |
| Information board | Yes | There is a beach information board in place providing water quality and water safety information. |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | No | |
| Recycling | No |
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <2 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Galway this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 15°C
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo
From Thu, 8 Oct, 09:00 until Fri, 9 Oct, 04:00
Heavy spells of rain.
Be aware of potential impacts:
- Difficult travelling conditions
- Localised flooding possible
Issued by Met Éireann · met.ie/warnings
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 9°Scattered clouds
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Sun with light cloud
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.
Trails & walks
Beaches & bathing waters
Parks, gardens & islands
Nature spot · 2.3 km awayBá Bhun AbhannBunowen BayBeachOn the eastern side of the Slyne Head promontory is Bunowen Bay, a small, sheltered beach with crystal clear waters.
Nature spot · 20 km awayConnemara National ParkParkLetterfrackVisit County Galway and explore the spectacular Connemara National Park. It covers some 3,000 hectares of scenic mountains, expansive bogs, glorious grasslands and enchanting woodlands.