Beach · County Kerry
Baile an Sceilg (Ballinskelligs)
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.
Baile an Sceilg is a sandy beach backing onto Baile an Sceilg village. The beach is sheltered from Atlantic wave action by Horse island. It is exposed to southerly winds. The lands behind the beach are primarily a mixture of agricultural grassland and residential/tourism development. The coastal waters of Ballinskelligs Bay and the estuary of the River Inny are designated as Special Area of Conservation, as part of the Ballinskelligs Bay & Inny Estuary SAC (Site Code 000335). Regulation and control of a number of activities on the beach are dealt with under the Kerry County Council Beach Bye-Laws, 2013. The full extent of the beach is approximately 1km in length, however, the identified bathing waters is only 400m of this.
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 | — | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Ramp |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Contact Cafe Cois Trá, Ballinskelligs to book Beach Wheelchair on 087 2965874.Available weekdays (up to 3 hours) -12 noon to 7pmAvailable weekends (up to 3 hours)- 11am to 7pmFurther information is available on Kerry County Council's website www.kerrycoco.ie |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | Available from Lifeguard hut |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedDogs are not allowed on the Blue-Flag section of the Beach (ie. within the Lifeguard Patrol area) between 11am and 7pm each day from the 1st June to 15th September inclusive.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Kerry this week
Best day outdoors: Fri, 9 Oct — a little daytime rain, windy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 11°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 11°Grey cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Light rain
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.
Trails & walks
Beaches & bathing waters
Forests & woodlands
Parks, gardens & islands
Nature spot · 1.2 km awayCé Bhaile an Sceilg (Ballinskelligs Pier)IslandBallinskelligsAdmire the sky blue waters of the Atlantic ocean from Ballinskelligs Pier (Cé Bhaile and Sceilg) on the edge of County Kerry.
Nature spot · 8.7 km awayCoomanaspicIslandVisit Coomanaspic Pass in County Kerry for spectacular panoramic views of the Iveragh peninsula.