Drumnatinny
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 2 months ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.0°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.3 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
Drumnatinny beach consists of a long sandy north facing beach; confined by Ballyness Bay to the West and by Crockagarran and a small series of headlands to the East. There is a wide variety plant species especially amongst the vegetated dunes. There are also varied ranges of bird and animal species. Ballyness Bay exposes extensive mud flats and sand flats at low tides. Activities at Drumnatinny beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, power boating and other land based activities on the beach with the majority of users walking along the long shore. The designated bathing area is approx. 1.317km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 4250m. There is an evenly sloped gradient off the beach getting to a depth of 1m approximately 10m out from the water line.
This spot’s record
Drumnatinny is in Donegal, about 3 km from Falcarragh. Drumnatinny has been rated Excellent in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2022 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 134 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 10 August 2026. 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 | 1 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 134 | 10 | Excellent |
| 13 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 22 Jun | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 2 Jun | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 25 May | 31 | 3 | 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.
Quality over the last 4 years
- Excellent2022
- Excellent2023
- Excellent2024
- Excellent2025
This water has been rated Excellent in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- No
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- No
- Accessible entry
- No
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Drumnatinny is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Drumnatinny 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.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Drumnatinny right now?
- Drumnatinny is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What is the water quality like at Drumnatinny?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Drumnatinny as Excellent in 2025. Classifications are a rolling assessment of bacterial samples taken over four bathing seasons, measured against E. coli and intestinal enterococci limits set by the EU Bathing Water Directive.
- Is there a swimming ban or warning at Drumnatinny?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Drumnatinny. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Drumnatinny?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for Drumnatinny. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
- What facilities are there at Drumnatinny?
- Drumnatinny has parking. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
This spot is also in
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Falcarragh — about 3 km away.