Beach · County Dublin
Dollymount Strand
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 15 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
<span style="text-align: justify; color: #606060; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Arial, 'helvetica neue', Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-color: initial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial;">Dollymount Strand is the closest large beach to Dublin City Centre and is situated on North Bull Island, a coastal sand spit located in Dublin Bay. Dollymount Strand is a sandy beach that runs from the north Bull wall to the northern tip of the Island. There is a wide variety of activities available which include walking, kite flying, rowing and canoeing. North Bull Island is one of the finest sand dune systems in Ireland, is internationally important in terms of its conservation value and has high quality examples of several rare and threatened coastal habitats. The area is protected by the Flora Protection Order (S.I. No. 94 of 1999) and Red Data Book (Curtis & McGough 1988).</span>
Good (2025): A good standard over four years.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 25 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2025 | Good | 19 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Good | 20 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | Good | 19 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | Good | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 20 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | — | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | Public toilet at the North Bull Wall entrance to Dollymount Strand. |
| Parking | Yes | Parking available along the Causeway and North Bull Wall. |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Beach wheelchairs available, from North Bull Wall entrance. |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Beach wheelchairs can be booked by emailing pat.corrigan@dublincity.ie. |
| Public transport | Yes | Public transport available to Clontarf Road. Short walk to bathing location. |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | YES during bathing season |
| Information board | Yes | 3 information cabinets: one located at each of the entrances to Dollymount Strand and one located along the sand dunes from the beach to the Causeway. |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | Litter bins are provided. Please be mindful and leave no trace. |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDogs must be kept on a lead at all times. This bathing area is a designated bird sanctuary, dogs can scare birds and destroy protected habitats when off the lead.
- No cars on the beachCars are not permitted to park on undesignated areas of the beach.
Latest sample (2026-09-15): E. coli 63, intestinal enterococci 15 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Protected area: SAC, SPA, UNESCO Biosphere
Outdoors in County Dublin this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, light winds, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 8°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 7°Scattered clouds
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 13°Scattered clouds
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 · 1.8 km awaySt Anne's Park and Rose GardensGardenClontarfThe former home of the Guinness family, St Anne's Estate provides extensive public parklands and rose gardens just outside Dublin city centre. Covering 112 hectares, the park provides playing pitches, golf, tennis courts, a Saturday market, playground, café and more. It is also very close to Dollymount Strand, a coastal bird sanctuary.
Nature spot · 5.6 km awayFairview ParkParkFairviewFairview Park is situated in the heart of Fairview near Clontarf, just North of Dublin City. This 20 hectare park, refurbished in 2012, features playing fields, a children's playground, skatepark, flowers, a band pavilion, a live willow zen garden and tree lined walks.