Beach · County Cork
Galley Cove
Wheelchair accessDogs on a lead
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.
Galley Cove is located at Crookhaven in Co Cork. The beach is around 250m in length and is part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a National Heritage Area (NHA).
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No | |
| Parking | No | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Surfaced car park adjacent to beach |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | No | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a lead
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 33 (cfu/100 ml).
Outdoors in County Cork this week
Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 8°Sun with light cloud
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Light rain
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.
