Beach · County Westmeath
The Cut, Lough Lene
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.
The Cut is an inland bathing area located on the Shores of Lough Lene. Lough Lene supports a diverse aquatic flora; such as pond weed and stoneworts. The bathing area is a popular bathing area. Jet ski bye laws in place prohibit use of jet skis on the lake. The bathing area extends over an area of approximately 70 meters by 170 meters wide.
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 | — | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 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 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Access to lake shoreline |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | No | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowed
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli 1, intestinal enterococci 15 (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
Forests & woodlands
Parks, gardens & islands
Nature spot · Co. Meath · 8.8 km awayThe Poppy GardenGardenOldcastleThe Poppy Garden is situated in Oldcastle, County Meath. It is a quirky and magical cottage garden, full of wonderful planting, nestled in the stunning Loughcrew Hills.
Nature spot · Co. Meath · 9.0 km awayLoughcrew Historic GardensGardenOldcastleLoughcrew is located near Oldcastle, County Meath, and offers 2.5 hectares of splendid gardens for visitors to explore. The property includes a medieval mote and the family church and tower house of St Oliver Plunkett.