Beach · County Westmeath
Portnashangan, Lough Owel
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.
Portnashangan is an inland water bathing area located on the shores of Lough Owel. It is a relatively shallow lake with a rocky, marl covered bottom. Lough Owel supports a diverse aquatic flora; such as pond weed and stoneworts. The bathing area is a popular bathing area. Jet ski bye laws prohibit use of jet skis on the lake. The bathing area extends over an area of approximately 50meters wide and 130 meters long (c.0.62Ha).
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 | — | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowed
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli 2, intestinal enterococci 10 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Westmeath this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 8°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 12°Sun with light 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 · 12 km awayTullynally Castle & GardensGardenCastlepollardVisitors to Tullynally Castle & Gardens, in Castlepollard, County Westmeath, can roam 26 acres of parkland and discover herbaceous gardens, wild woodland trails, serene lakes and hidden follies.
Nature spot · 21 km awayAn Mullach MínMullaghmeenParkOldcastleMullaghmeen in north Westmeath is the largest planted beech forest in Ireland. This 1,000 acre forest has an extensive network of way marked trails for varying levels of fitness.