Beach · County Mayo
Keel Beach, Achill Island
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 2 September 2026, was good. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Keel Beach is a predominately sandy beach with scatterings of shingle. It is an exposed beach open to the south, and can be subject to rip tides/strong currents. To the far west there are rocky outcrops which can be submerged at high tide. Keel Beach consists of area of sand dune and machair. Both habitats support a variety of plant and wildlife species. Keel Beach also forms part of the Achill Head SAC (Site Code 002268) and the Keel Machair/Menaun Cliffs SAC (Site Code 001513). Activities include swimming, surfing, sailing, canoeing, water skiing, jet skis, scuba-diving / snorkelling and fishing. Approximately 1.5km2 in area. The medium and maximum water depth within the designated bathing water is 0.5m and 5.0m respectively depending on tides.
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 | — | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDogs only allowed before 12pm and after 6.30pm during the bathing season (1st June to 15th September) otherwise allowed at all times onto beach.
- No cars on the beach
- Car-free zone
Latest sample (2026-09-02): E. coli 270, intestinal enterococci 16 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Mayo this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 14°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 Oct12° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct14° / 13°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 · 5.9 km awayAchill Island (Acaill)IslandWindswept hills of blanket bog slope down to towering cliffs and pristine sandy shores. Achill Island, or Oileán Acaill, is Ireland's largest offshore island and can be reached by car from Mayo's Corraun Peninsula.
Nature spot · 11 km awayInis Bigil (Inishbiggle Island)IslandLocated between the mainland and Achill Island in County Mayo, Inishbiggle is a unique island with stunning panoramic views of West Mayo.