Beach · County Wexford
Rosslare 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 1 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
The beach at Rosslare Strand is an urban fine-sand beach with a relatively gentle slope. The sand type is soft and windblown. The sand dunes extent is narrow to the rear (west) of the beach. There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach. Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, North Slob, Wexford, is Ireland's Premier Wildfowl Reserve situated on the coast, and in sight of the southeast corner of Ireland. Rosslare Strand beach is a popular fishing spot and also used by a limited number of surfers, windsurfers and canoeists. The bathing area is approximately 0.5 km long and 0.1 km² in area.
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 | — | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 15 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Wooden boardwalk |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Contact Centra Shop, Strand Road, Rosslare 053 9173060. June to August inclusive. |
| Public transport | Yes | Bus, Train |
| First aid | Yes | Available from Lifeguard hut |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | Lifebuoy available on beach |
| Information board | Yes | Beach notice board onsite |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowed1st June and 15th September: no dogs in blue flag area between lifeguard markers from 11:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs. Dogs on a lead are permitted through the blue flag area to access other beach areas.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-01): E. coli 75, intestinal enterococci 1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Wexford this week
Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct15° / 9°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct14° / 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 · 1.9 km awayRosslare StrandBeachRosslare Strand is a beach 12km south east of Wexford Town and 4km north west of Rosslare Europort. It is a mixture of sand and stone and runs the length of the southern peninsula which protrudes into Wexford Harbour.
Nature spot · 9.6 km awayThe Wexford Slobs and Wildfowl ReserveParkThe Wexford Slobs and Wildfowl Reserve in Castlebridge, County Wexford are a natural haven for birds. Home to large flocks of geese, ducks and wading birds during the winter, with as many as 8,000 Greenland White-Fronted Geese going there.