Beach · County Louth
Ceann Chlochair
Clogherhead
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.
Clogherhead beach is a large open sandy beach that is gently sloping facing mainly to the east. There is an area of dunes and an area of rocks to the north. There are two small rip currents at the north end of the beach. There are areas of sand dunes and rocks. There are a variety of marine wildlife including crabs, jellyfish, sea beet and limpets. The Foreshore Byelaws 2003 are in existence to exclude motorized vehicles from the beach. The average daily visitor numbers to this beach estimated during the bathing season is 200. The bathing area is approximately 1430m in length. The beach at the bathing area is gently sloping into the sea.
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 | — | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 20 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 20 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 20 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 20 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 20 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Beach Wheelchair available from Celtic Canoes Clogherhead contact David Reddy (085) 8758092 |
| Public transport | Yes | Public bus |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | Yes | Details on Information Board |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDuring the bathing season dogs are prohibited from the beach between 11am and 6pm
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-01): E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Louth this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, light winds, up to 12°C
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 8°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 8°Drizzle
- Sun, 11 Oct12° / 12°Sun with light 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 · Co. Meath · 12 km awayLaytown BeachBeachLaytownLaytown Beach, a serene stretch of sand located in County Meath, is renowned for its unique annual event, the Laytown Races, dating back to 1868.
Nature spot · Co. Meath · 12 km awaySonairte Visitor Eco-Centre and GardensGardenLaytownSonairte Visitor Eco-Centre and Gardens is an interactive visitor centre promoting ecological awareness and sustainable living situated in Laytown, County Meath. Its 10 acre site hosts an organic garden, nature trail, river walk, café, shop and information centre.