Unknown PlanetPress24 section: beaches-water-quality
← Back to all beaches
CORK • IDENTIFIED BEACH

Inchydoney West Beach

Cork County Council

Excellent
SWIMMING STATUS TODAY

No active EPA restriction shown

EPA alert data last synced 19 Oct 2026, 13:36.

NO ACTIVE ALERT SHOWN
Can I swim here?No active EPA restriction shownCurrent EPA alert/restriction status
Current restrictionNone shown in current EPA alertsThis is not a guarantee of swimming conditions. Always check local signs, lifeguard instructions and the latest official advice at the beach.
Latest sampleExcellentIndividual sample result only
Last tested1 Sep 2026Latest sample stored from EPA

Current restrictions and beach signage take priority over annual classifications and individual sample results. Conditions can change between samples.

Annual EPA classification · 2025ExcellentLonger-term annual classification
Latest available sampleExcellent1 Sep 2026
E. coli<10Latest sample result
Intestinal enterococci<1Latest sample result
Next monitoring—EPA schedule where available
Short-term pollution riskNoEPA location profile field

EPA annual assessment

Inchydoney West Beach is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Inchydoney West Beach has achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating for the four consecutive years 2022 to 2025. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.

Annual water quality history

2025Excellent
2024Excellent
2023Excellent
2022Excellent

Recent water samples

DateSample statusE. coliIntestinal enterococci
1 Sep 2026Excellent<10<1
17 Aug 2026Excellent10<1
20 Jul 2026Excellent<102
22 Jun 2026Excellent201
26 May 2026Excellent<102

Facilities & access

Blue FlagYes
Green CoastNo
LifeguardYes
First aidYes
LifebuoyYes
ToiletsYes
ParkingYes
AccessibleNo
Beach wheelchairNo
Public transportYes
Information boardYes
Litter binNo
RecyclingNo
Natural sensitive areaYes

About this bathing water

Inchydoney West Beach is a relatively gently sloping, sandy, south facing beach located at the north east of Clonakilty Bay. The beach is backed by sand dunes and is quite open to rough weather conditions. This beach is subject to occasional large accumulations of sea lettuce. To the west there is a channel which drains a tidal lagoon and sand flats known as Muckruss Strand. Inchydoney beach is included in the Clonakilty Bay Special Area of Conservation which is also a proposed NHA (site code 000091).

Official information

Managed by Cork County Council.

Open EPA beach profile