Owenahincha, Little Island Strand
Cork County Council
No active EPA restriction shown
EPA alert data last synced 19 Oct 2026, 13:36.
Current restrictions and beach signage take priority over annual classifications and individual sample results. Conditions can change between samples.
EPA annual assessment
Owenahincha, Little Island Strand is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Owenahincha, Little Island Strand 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
Recent water samples
| Date | Sample status | E. coli | Intestinal enterococci |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep 2026 | Excellent | 31 | 4 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 7 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | Excellent | 10 | 5 |
| 20 Jul 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 2 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 20 | 3 |
| 8 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 63 | 1 |
| 26 May 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 5 |
Facilities & access
About this bathing water
Owenahincha is a relatively gently sloping, sandy beach and has sand dunes to the rear which extend between 70m & 100m. The beach can be subject to very strong wave action and rip tides/strong currents. There is a short pleasant cliff walk between the Warren Strand and Owenahincha. Approx. 1km to the east of the beach there is a Special Area of Conservation Kilkerran Lake & Castlefreke Dunes (SAC 001061). The beach is used by limited numbers of surfers, windsurfers, canoeists, and anglers.
Official information
Managed by Cork County Council.
Open EPA beach profile