Beach · County Galway
East End Inisbofin
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.
East End Bay is located on the island of Inishbofin which is situated off the North West coast off Connemara. the bathing water is a gentle sloping sandy beach and is bordered to the rear by the tiny and quaint East End Village. It is mainly used by tourista and locals for swimming, fishing and occasionally wind surfing.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No | |
| Parking | No | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | ramp/slipway |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| 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 2 (cfu/100 ml).
Outdoors in County Galway this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 15°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 Oct13° / 9°Scattered clouds
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°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 · 1.7 km awayInishbofin Island (Inis Bó Finne) - GalwayIslandInishbofinJust 11km off the Galway coast, Inishbofin Island is perfect for a relaxing escape as well as the opportunity to hear some of the best traditional music around. It's a far cry from the 6,000 years of tumult and upheaval that shaped the island's past.
Nature spot · Co. Mayo · 10 km awayInis ToircInishturkIslandInishturk Island rises boldly from the Atlantic Ocean, off the scenic coast of County Mayo. See the soaring sea cliffs to the north west and steep hills to the north, on which stands the ruins of the old signal tower.