Beach · County Mayo
Cross Beach Louisburgh
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 2 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Cross Beach is a large sandy beach located 7km south west of Louisburgh. It is a gently sloping beach, the upper section comprising of stone/cobble, and strecthes for approximately 900m from Cross Point to the south to where Carrowniskey River enters the sea to the north. Cross Beach forms part of Lough Cahasy, Lough Baun and Roonah Lough Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and proposed Natural Heritage Area (pNHA). The site is of ecological significance primarily for its lagoon habitat and receives priority status under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. Activities include surfing, windsurfing, swimming, fishing and walking.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | No | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedDogs not allowed on beach during the bathing season (1st June to 15th September) between the hours of 12pm and 6.30pm
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-02): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 3 (cfu/100 ml).
Outdoors in County Mayo this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 14°C
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo
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° / 8°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct14° / 13°Sun with light cloud
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.