Beach · County Sligo
Dunmoran Beach
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 14 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Dunmoran Beach is an exposed sandy beach backed by sand dunes. There are no formal designations associated with this beach, however there is a proposed National Heritage Area (pNHA) close by at Aughris. This area is also designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) (Ref. SPA 004133). The beach is 0.85km in length, within which there is a 400m designated bathing area.
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | — | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | Lifeguard cover is available at weekends only from July to end of August (Sat and Sun). |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | Available during bathing season |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | First Aid kit and AED available in bathing season, during lifeguard patrol hours |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadA person in charge of a dog on any of this beach shall keep such dog on a leash of fixed length of less than 2 metres, and otherwise under adequate control from 10am each day, throughout the year. Before 10am dogs must be kept under effective control.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-14): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Sligo this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°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 Oct11° / 6°Light rain
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 12°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 · 2.0 km awayCeann EachroisAughris HeadBeachDiscover Aughris Head peninsula in Sligo and take in the scenic views of Aughris and Dunmoran beaches, Sligo Bay and Knocknarea Mountain.
Nature spot · 7.6 km awayStrandhill BeachBeachStrandhillStrandhill Beach in County Sligo is a popular surf beach featuring a number of schools catering for both novices and experienced surfers.