Beach · County Cork
Ring (Greenlands Strand)
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.
Ring Beach is a sandy beach, located approx 3.5 kilometres from Ballymacoda in Co Cork. It is a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The beach looks out onto Ballymacoda Bay and Pillmor. In keeping with leave no trace principles bins are not provided. The public are expected to take home any waste they generate
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No | |
| Parking | No | |
| Wheelchair access | No | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | No | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a lead
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <1 (cfu/100 ml).
Outdoors in County Cork this week
Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 8°Sun with light cloud
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Light rain
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 · 6.8 km awayMillennium Garden of TimeGardenYoughalSituated in Youghal, County Cork, the Millennium Garden of Time is a spectacular place that was developed by the local Tidy Towns Committee. The garden is based on the Chi-Rho page from the Book of Kells and features a number of ponds.