Beach · County Dublin
An Leathluan
Half Moon
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 9 September 2026, was good. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
The Half Moon Bathing Water is located approximately half way along the Southside of Great South Wall. It is not a beach and access to the bathing water is via ladder or slipway from the Great South Wall. Access for pedestrians along the Great South Wall is permitted solely by foot or bicycle. Vehicle access (except for emergency vehicles) is limited at the beginning of the wall, where bicycle parking and car parking facilities are located. For additional parking, it is encouraged to use the nearby Shelley Banks car and bicycle parking facilities and refrain from parking along the roadway to prevent disturbance/damage to sand dunes. The bathing area is bounded by the Great South Wall to the North and the Irish Sea to the South thus flora and fauna have limited opportunity to grow. However, due to its position and coastal connection to Sean Moore Park and the Irishtown Nature Reserve, it is of international importance for migrating Light-bellied Brent Geese and of national importance for nine other waterfowl species. The Half Moon bathing location is located within the South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA), the South Dublin Bay Proposed Natural Heritage Areas and South Dublin Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It is encouraged to check wind, weather and tidal forecasts before swimming. During times of adverse weather, Dublin Port Company (<a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dublinport.ie%2Fpublic-notices%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C87832797e7f04f86bcdc08dc297b7a20%7C03f164957710409d90cb9b3f403feeea%7C0%7C0%7C638430857721299040%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fNDpL7pcYw1LNii2yyrtaB0RYeXkdcLg8gfwjz3cxIQ%3D&reserved=0">https://www.dublinport.ie/public-notices/</a>) and Dublin City Council will issue a public safety notice for the temporary closure of the Great South Wall.
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 | — | 21 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 20 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No | |
| Parking | Yes | Yes |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | Yes |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | Yes |
| Information board | Yes | Yes |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | No | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadYes
- No cars on the beachYes
- Car-free zoneYes
Latest sample (2026-09-09): E. coli 279, intestinal enterococci 23 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Protected area: Yes
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 · 3.2 km awaySt Anne's Park and Rose GardensGardenClontarfThe former home of the Guinness family, St Anne's Estate provides extensive public parklands and rose gardens just outside Dublin city centre. Covering 112 hectares, the park provides playing pitches, golf, tennis courts, a Saturday market, playground, café and more. It is also very close to Dollymount Strand, a coastal bird sanctuary.
Nature spot · 4.2 km awayBlackrock ParkParkBlackrockBlackrock Park is a pleasant green area overlooking Dublin Bay, in Blackrock, County Dublin, and boasts a well equipped children's playground, cycle path, sports area, picnic area, gardens and trees.