Beach · County Clare
Mountshannon, Lough Derg
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 1 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Mountshannon is situated around a series of three small piers to the east and adjacent to the main south-facing harbour. On the shore of Lough Derg, Mountshannon is an important area for wildlife in particular birds and fish species. There is an area of swamp vegetation along the shore. There is a slow and gradual deepening of the water and the mean depth overall of the water in Lough Derg has been estimated to be 7.6m. Activities include bathing, boating, angling and wind-surfing.
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 | — | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Footpath to pier |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | Available at Lifeguard hut |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadBefore 11 am and after 6 pm during summer season, otherwise not allowed at all times onto beach during summer season.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-01): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <10 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Clare this week
Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 11°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 8°Sun with grey cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Drizzle
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 · 9.3 km awayIrish Seed SaversGardenScarriffIrish Seed Savers at Capparoe, Scarriff, County Clare, is an oasis of biodiversity for the whole family to enjoy. Explore 20 acres of heritage seed gardens, orchards and woodland trails.