Beach · County Mayo
Dooega Beach, Achill Island
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 7 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Dooega beach is a small crescent shaped cove, which is sheltered from most directions but open to the south and as a result large swells can occur at the rocky outcrop towards the eastern end of the beach. Either side of Camport Bay is steeply sloping hills of Knockmore at a height of 337m and the Menaun Cliffs at a height of 464m. Dooega Beach forms part of the Keel Machair/Menaun Cliffs SAC (Site Code 001513). Activities include surfing, fishing and canoeing. The Designated Bathing area is approximately 0.06km2. The medium and maximum water depth within the designated bathing water is 0.5m and 5.0m respectively depending on tides.
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 | — | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Ramp leading to the beach. |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | Details available on the beach notice board. |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDogs only allowed before 12pm and after 6.30pm during the bathing season (1st June to 15th September) otherwise allowed at all times onto beach.
- No cars on the beach
- Car-free zone
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 4 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
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.
Trails & walks
Beaches & bathing waters
Parks, gardens & islands
Nature spot · 3.9 km awayAchill Island (Acaill)IslandWindswept hills of blanket bog slope down to towering cliffs and pristine sandy shores. Achill Island, or Oileán Acaill, is Ireland's largest offshore island and can be reached by car from Mayo's Corraun Peninsula.
Nature spot · 11 km awayInis Bigil (Inishbiggle Island)IslandLocated between the mainland and Achill Island in County Mayo, Inishbiggle is a unique island with stunning panoramic views of West Mayo.