Galley Cove
Not monitored
This spot isn't an officially designated bathing water, so it has no annual classification and no pollution-alert monitoring. Past sample results are shown below, but none is recent. Assess conditions yourself before entering.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 7 days ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.3°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
2.2 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Going out
- Low water around UTC
- High water around UTC
Modelled values, not measurements — coastal water often differs from the open-sea model, and tide times are approximate to within about half an hour. Use official tide tables for anything that depends on precise timing.
About this spot
Galley Cove is located at Crookhaven in Co Cork. The beach is around 250m in length and is part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a National Heritage Area (NHA).
This spot’s record
Galley Cove is in Cork, about 24 km from Castletownbere. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 189 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 11 August 2025. A classification is calculated from percentiles across four seasons, so no single reading decides how this water is rated.
Recent sample results
The last 12 bacterial samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), most recent on the right. Counts are per 100 ml of water.
Dashed line: 500 E. coli per 100 ml, the Bathing Water Directive guide value for coastal / transitional waters.
| Date | E. coli | Enterococci | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sept | 10 | 33 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 13 Jul | 86 | 1 | Excellent |
| 15 Jun | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 25 May | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 1 Sept | 20 | 7 | Excellent |
A bathing water's official classification is calculated from percentiles across four bathing seasons, not from any single sample — so one high reading doesn't mean a spot is unsafe, and one low reading doesn't mean it's clean today.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- No
- Parking
- No
- Toilets
- No
- Accessible entry
- YesSurfaced car park adjacent to beach
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
This spot has no official annual classification.
Common questions
- Can you swim at Galley Cove right now?
- Galley Cove is currently marked "Not monitored". This spot isn't an officially designated bathing water, so it has no annual classification and no pollution-alert monitoring. Past sample results are shown below, but none is recent. Assess conditions yourself before entering. This reflects the latest data published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- Is there a lifeguard at Galley Cove?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for Galley Cove. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
- What facilities are there at Galley Cove?
- Galley Cove has accessible entry. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
This spot is also in
Get told when this changes
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Castletownbere — about 24 km away.