Beach · County Wexford

Baile na hEiscrí

Ballinesker

Water quality: Excellent (2025)Blue FlagLifeguards in seasonToiletsParkingWheelchair accessNo dogs

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 1 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.

Ballinesker is a rural peaceful fine-sand beach with a relatively gentle slope. The sand type is soft and windblown and often covers the wooden walkway. Deposition offshore into a series of sand-banks offers protection to the beach. The sand dunes extend approximately 70m to the rear (west) of the beach. There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach. Ballinesker beach is also a popular fishing spot. The beach is also used by a limited number of surfers, windsurfers and canoeists. The bathing area is approximately 1.0 km long and approximately 0.2 km² in area.

Excellent (2025): The highest standard: results over four years were consistently very clean.

The record, year by year

YearEPA classificationSamplesExcellentGoodSufficientPoor
2026—1515000
2025Excellent1514100
2024Excellent1515000
2023Excellent1515000
2022Excellent1515000
2021—1515000
2020—1515000
2019—1515000

Facilities

LifeguardsYes
ToiletsYes
ParkingYes
Wheelchair accessYesWooden boardwalk
Beach wheelchairYesContact Curracloe Holiday Villas 053-9137241. June to August inclusive.
Public transportNo
First aidYesAvailable from Lifeguard hut
LifebuoyYes
Information boardYes
Activity zonesNo
Litter binsYes
RecyclingYes

Dogs and cars

  • Dogs are not allowed1st June and 15th September: no dogs in blue flag area between lifeguard markers from 11:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs. Dogs on a lead are permitted through the blue flag area to access other beach areas.
  • No cars on the beach

Latest sample (2026-09-01): E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 3 (cfu/100 ml).

The EPA's bathing water profile

Outdoors in County Wexford this week

Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C

  1. Fri, 9 Oct15° / 9°DrizzleGood day outdoors
  2. Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloudGreat day outdoors
  3. Sun, 11 Oct14° / 14°DrizzleGood day outdoors

Make a day of it

The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.