Beach · County Donegal
Ballyhiernan, Fanad
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 8 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Ballyhiernan beach is a north facing, long sandy beach consisting of sandy dunes. There are three bays on the beach Carrickachurdin Bay, Kinlackagh Bay and Trabane Bay. Ballyhiernan Beach has a wide variety of wildlife including a vast variety of birds and two notable animal species have been spotted on the site, the Common Frog and Irish Hare. Activities include swimming, kayaking, boating, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, power boating, jet skiing, diving and other land based activities on the beach.
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 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a lead
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-08): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 3 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Donegal this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Donegal
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 Oct12° / 10°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 9°Medium rain showers
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 11°Sun with grey cloud
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 · 1.6 km awayBá Bhaile Uí Thiarnáin (Ballyhiernan Bay)BeachSet along a rural stretch of northeast Donegal near the village of Rosnakill, Bá Bhaile Uí Thiarnáin (Ballyhiernan Bay) is a long, sandy beach perfect for walking and exploring.
Nature spot · 8.8 km awayIsland Roy - Oileán RuaidhIslandOileán Ruaidh or Island Roy is a truly magical retreat from the rush of the rest of the world. This tiny 65 hectare island, off the coast of Donegal, is so little known and secluded that it doesn't always feature on maps.