Beach · County Donegal
An Dumhaigh
Dooey
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 9 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Dooey is located close to the towns of Glenties and Dungloe which are located on the western coast of County Donegal. Dooey beach is a long sandy beach approximately 3km long on the Atlantic coast of Ireland. The beach is contained to the south by the Gweebarra estuary and sheltered to the north by the headland. The beach is west facing into the Atlantic Ocean and gets a strongwash of water from the rough sea directly onto the beach. It is an extensive sandy beach in a rural environment. The beach is backed by an extensive and majestic sand dune system with a well defined primary duneridge.
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 | 6 | 6 | 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 | Yes | |
| 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 (2026-09-09): E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 2 (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 · 9.7 km awayInis Fraoigh (Inishfree Island)IslandJust 5km off the coast of Donegal, Inis Fraoigh (Inishfree) is a unique 640 hectare island of sandy beaches, flowering plants and peaceful scenery.
Nature spot · 16 km awayÁrainn Mhór (Arranmore Island)IslandThe largest of County Donegal's off shore Islands, Árainn Mhór is a wild and rugged place with fantastic cliff scenery, dramatic sea caves and golden sandy beaches.