Beach · County Galway
Goirtín, Cloch na Rón
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.
Goirtín, Cloch na Rón bathing water is on the shores of Gurteen Bay. It is a striking sandy beach and is best remembered as a setting for the famous Irish film Into the West. There is a unique "machair" habitat present which is a relatively flat and low lying sand plain. This habitat supports rare plant species. Goirtín beach supports a variety of animals, birds, shellfish and plants.
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 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 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 | Yes | 12-6 weekends July Aug |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | lifeguard huts during lifeguard season |
| 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 5 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
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 · 11 km awayCashel House Hotel GardensGardenConnemaraStanding at the head of Cashel Bay, County Galway is Cashel House Hotel and Gardens, a mid 19th century gracious country house. Set in 20 hectares, the hotel boasts beautiful, award winning gardens and woodland walks.