Beach · County Donegal
Droim na Tine
Drumnatinny
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.
Drumnatinny beach consists of a long sandy north facing beach; confined by Ballyness Bay to the West and by Crockagarran and a small series of headlands to the East. There is a wide variety plant species especially amongst the vegetated dunes. There are also varied ranges of bird and animal species. Ballyness Bay exposes extensive mud flats and sand flats at low tides. Activities at Drumnatinny beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, power boating and other land based activities on the beach with the majority of users walking along the long shore. The designated bathing area is approx. 1.317km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 4250m. There is an evenly sloped gradient off the beach getting to a depth of 1m approximately 10m out from the water line.
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 | No | |
| 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 (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <1 (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 · 5.6 km awayInis Bó Finne (Inishbofin Island) - DonegalBeachInishbofinThe sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and hidden caves of Inis Bó Finne (Inishbofin Island), 3km off the coast of Donegal, is a haven for a myriad of bird life and a popular spot for water sports.
Nature spot · 15 km awayToraigh (Tory Island)IslandLying 12km off north Donegal, Toraigh (Tory Island) is the most remote of Ireland’s inhabited islands, with enduring local traditions, unique historical sites and rare bird life.