Beach · County Donegal
Cnoc an Mharmair
Marble Hill
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.
Marble Hill beach consists of a sandy beach with two rock outcrops at the east of the beach. These are exposed at times during the tidal phase during the day. Marble Hill beach consists of sand dunes which support a vast variety of plant species. There is also a wide variety of wildlife at Marble Hill beach. It is part of the Sheephaven SAC. This northern site is of high conservation value because of the extensive area of relatively unspoilt coastal habitats and the range of plant and animal species that these habitats support. Activities at Marble Hill beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, windsurfing and other land-based activities such as football, kite flying, etc. The bathing area is designated and is approximately 0.4415km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 1330m. The depth of the water on the shoreline increases within 2 meters off the shore to a depth of 1 meter and gradually increases to greater than 2 meters with the slope of the shore.
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 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | via slipway to North main beach or laneway before parking on the right. |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Available all year round. Contact: Shandon Hotel at +353 (0)74 91 36137 |
| Public transport | Yes | |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDogs are not permitted in the Blue Flag Area of this beach from 12 pm to 7 pm (1st June - 15th September annually). Dogs are permitted on leads outside the Blue Flag Area at all times.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Donegal this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Donegal
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° / 10°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 9°Medium rain showers
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 11°Sun with grey cloud
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 · 6.6 km awayRos Goill (Rossguill Peninsula)BeachSet between the headlands of Melmore Head and Horn Head, this point on the Rosguill Peninsula in northeast Donegal offers dramatic open views over the Atlantic coastline.
Nature spot · 7.0 km awayIsland Roy - Oileán RuaidhIslandOileán Ruaidh or Island Roy is a truly magical retreat from the rush of the rest of the world. This tiny 65 hectare island, off the coast of Donegal, is so little known and secluded that it doesn't always feature on maps.