Beach · County Donegal
Ráth Maoláin
Rathmullan
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 8 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Rathmullan beach consists of a sandy beach in Lough Swilly, which is confined by Rathmullan pier to the South and runs up past Kinnegar to the Glebe outcrop to the North. Rathmullan beach supports a wide variety of plant and wildlife species including otters. The Rathmullan Wood Nature Reserve contains a wide variety of trees. Activities at Rathmullan beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, sailing, power boating, jet skiing (outside the designated area), diving and other land based activities on the beach. The designated bathing area is approx. 0.142km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 1380m. There is a deep gradient off Rathmullan Beach with the water depth reaching 1m approx. 10m from the water line.
Good (2025): A good standard over four years.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Good | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Good | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Good | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | Good | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Good access from promenade along with a beach mat. |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | x2 available all year round. Contact: Patricia McAteer 087 2314332tishmcateer@gmail.com |
| 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 proposed Blue Flag Area of this beach from 12 pm to 7 pm (1st June - 15th September annually). Dogs are permitted on leads outside the proposed Blue Flag Area at all times.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-08): E. coli 63, intestinal enterococci 3 (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 · 14 km awayIOSAS CentreGardenThe IOSAS Centre and Celtic Prayer Garden, in Muff, County Donegal, depicts the lives of Ireland's Celtic saints. It is a place of incredible natural beauty and peace away from today's hectic pace of life.