Beach · County Sligo
Enniscrone 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.
Enniscrone Beach is an exposed sandy beach, backed by sand dunes, caravan park and golf course. Reference detail on NPWS website, ref. Special Protection Area (SPA 004036) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC 000458). Enniscrone beach forms part of the Killala Bay/Moy Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA 004036) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC 000458). Part of Killala Bay, west of Bartra Island is designated as a shellfish area. There is a short coastal walk north of Enniscrone pier. The bathing area (i.e. that which is patrolled by lifeguards) is approximately 500m in length. However the beach is approximately 4.5km in length.
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 | — | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Good | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | — | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Direct access to the beach |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | A beach wheelchair is available during the bathing water season, booking through 7th Wave surf school in Enniscrone, |
| Public transport | Yes | Local Bus service to Sligo town and Ballina |
| 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 | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedDogs are not permitted in the bathing area between 10am and 7pm from 1st June to 15th September.
- Cars allowed on the beachLimited parking allowed during very busy days
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
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