Beach · County Louth
Shelling Hill/Templetown
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.
Templetown beach is a large open gently sloping beach consisting of sand and shingle and facing to the south. The bathing water is located in an area that is backing onto sandy dunes. Templetown beach consists of sand dunes which support a variety of plant species. There is a variety of wildlife located including limpets and crabs. The bathing area is approximately 0.2Km in length however the beach extends beyond the designated bathing area to the west and the east. The beach is gently sloping into the sea.
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 | — | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 20 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 20 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 20 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Wheelchair Access |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | Yes | Details on Information Board |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDuring the blue flag season dogs are not allowed on the beach between 11am and 6pm
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-01): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Louth this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, light winds, up to 12°C
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 8°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 8°Drizzle
- Sun, 11 Oct12° / 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 · 14 km awayBlackrock PromenadeBeachBlackrockBuilt in 1851 the two-walled promenade was a feature of Blackrock for over a century. Visitors come to enjoy a seated view of Dundalk Bay and the Cooley Mountains while eating locally made ice cream.
Nature spot · 15 km awayBlackrock BeachBeachBlackrockBlackrock, in County Louth, has three beaches consisting of the main beach at the south end of the village, the Priest’s Beach and Ladies Beach which are more secluded but signposted to the north.