Trá Inis Oírr (Main Beach)
Galway 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
Trá Inis Oírr (Main Beach) is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Trá Inis Oírr (Main Beach) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 2026 | Excellent | <10 | <2 |
| 10 Aug 2026 | Excellent | <10 | <2 |
| 13 Jul 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 1 |
| 15 Jun 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 1 |
| 27 May 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 1 |
Facilities & access
About this bathing water
Inis Oírr is situated 17km off the Galway coast and 9km off the Clare coast. The beach is on the northern coast of the island and is known as Trá Inis Oírr. Traditional farm practices have helped maintain the high ecological status of the island. The birdlife of Inis Oírr is of international importance due to the presence of species listed under Annex 1 of the Birds Directive. Choughs breed on the island. Other protected birds on the island include Little Tern, Artic Tern and Sandwich Tern.
Official information
Managed by Galway County Council.
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