Beach · County Dublin
Cladach an Daichead Troigh
Forty Foot Bathing Place
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.
The Forty Foot, a historic bathing pool on a promontory on the southern tip of Dublin Bay, is a short walk from the James Joyce Tower, Sandycove. It used to be a male only swimming spot but today both men and women enjoy a swim here. The character of Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's Ulysses takes a dip in the Forty Foot. People have been swimming here for the past 250 years.
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 | — | 17 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 17 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | Public Toilet within 100 metres. |
| Parking | Yes | Limited on street pay and display parking. |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | Yes | Sandycove and Glasthule Dart Station Nearby |
| First aid | Yes | Defibrillator at adjacent Sandycove Beach Lifeguard Hut |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | No | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | Smart Bin at Entrance to Bathing Area |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- No cars on the beach
- Car-free zone
Latest sample (2026-09-14): E. coli 84, intestinal enterococci 7 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Dublin this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, light winds, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 8°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 7°Scattered clouds
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 13°Scattered clouds
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 awayMornington GardenGardenDalkeyMornington Garden is situated beside Killiney Hill, just above the beautiful heritage village of Dalkey, County Dublin. It has been in the Bowring family for well over 50 years. Open by appointment, please phone or email in advance to confirm.
Nature spot · 2.2 km awayKilliney & Dalkey HillsParkKillineyKilliney Hill and Dalkey Hill form part of Killiney Hill Park, a small public park overlooking both Dalkey and Killiney villages. The views of Dublin in all directions are spectacular from this vantage point, especiallly from atop the pyramid or wishing stone.