Beach · County Waterford
Ardmore 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.
Ardmore is a sandy beach with a gentle slope down to the low water mark and beyond. Helvick Head to the east and Youghal harbour to the west of Ardmore beach are both special areas of conservation and/or special protected area. This is due to wildlife which is supported throughout the region. Activities include swimming, surfing, body-boarding and kayaking. While the beach is 1 km long, the designated bathing area is approximately 500 metres long and 100 metres wide (at low tide).
Good (2025): A good standard over four years.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Good | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Ramp to beach |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | Yes | Public buses |
| First aid | Yes | At lifeguard station |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedNo dogs allowed between 11am to 7pm, June, July and August
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli 20, intestinal enterococci 44 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Waterford this week
Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 8°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct14° / 14°Light rain
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.
