Beach · County Donegal
Murvagh
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 excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Murvagh Beach is a long shallow, sandy beach containing sand dunes. Murvagh beach is situated within Donegal Bay which consists of intertidal habitats, notably mud and sand flats, sea inlets and bays, tidal rivers, estuarine channels and sandy beaches. Murvagh beach consists of sand dunes that support a variety of plant species. There is also a variety of Wildlife located at Murvagh Beach. As part of Donegal Bay Murvagh Beach is designated an SAC (Special Area of Conservation) and a proposed NHA (National Heritage Area) with the site code: 000133. The area is also designated as a SPA (Special Protection Area) with the site code: 004151. Activities at Murvagh Beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, windsurfing and other land-based activities such as walking, football, kite flying, etc. The bathing area is designated and is approx. 2.324km2 and the extent along the water is approximately 3770m. The depth of the water on the shoreline increases slightly within 2 meters off the shore to a depth of 0.25 meters and very gradually increases to greater than 0.5 meters with the slight 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 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 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 | |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Available all year. Contact Michelle Travers 087 6005002 |
| 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 (2026-09-09): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 5 (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 · 4.2 km awaySalthill GardenGardenMountcharlesSet just a short distance from the sea near Mountcharles, County Donegal, Salthill Garden is a contemporary space that has been individually styled by Elizabeth Temple. There is always a good selection of perennials, vegetables and shrubs.
Nature spot · 4.5 km awaySea View GardenGardenDromoreSea View Garden, Mountcharles, County Donegal, is a unique garden retaining old world charm, overlooking Donegal Bay. The garden is planted with a great variety of herbaceous and shrub borders as well as ornamental trees, so there is always something of interest in bloom.