Rathmullan
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 30 days ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.0°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
0.5 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
Rathmullan beach consists of a sandy beach in Lough Swilly, which is confined by Rathmullan pier to the South and runs up past Kinnegar to the Glebe outcrop to the North. Rathmullan beach supports a wide variety of plant and wildlife species including otters. The Rathmullan Wood Nature Reserve contains a wide variety of trees. Activities at Rathmullan beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, sailing, power boating, jet skiing (outside the designated area), diving and other land based activities on the beach. The designated bathing area is approx. 0.142km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 1380m. There is a deep gradient off Rathmullan Beach with the water depth reaching 1m approx. 10m from the water line.
This spot’s record
Rathmullan is in Donegal, about 6 km from Buncrana. Rathmullan has been rated Good in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2022 through 2025. In the previous bathing season Rathmullan was under a short-term pollution restriction on 8 days. That is last season's record and not a forecast for today. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 199 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 9 September 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Sept | 63 | 3 | Excellent |
| 25 Aug | 10 | 2 | Excellent |
| 18 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 11 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 28 Jul | 121 | 30 | Excellent |
| 14 Jul | 20 | 2 | 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
- Good2022
- Good2023
- Good2024
- Good2025
This water has been rated Good in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- YesGood access from promenade along with a beach mat.
- Dogs
- YesDogs are not permitted in the proposed Blue Flag Area of this beach from 12 pm to 7 pm (1st June - 15th September annually). Dogs are permitted on leads outside the proposed Blue Flag Area at all times.
- Public transport
- Yes
Official water quality
Classified Good in 2025.
Rathmullan is classified as achieving Good Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Rathmullan has achieved a Good 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 Rathmullan right now?
- Rathmullan 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 Rathmullan?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Rathmullan as Good 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 Rathmullan?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Rathmullan. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Rathmullan?
- Yes — Rathmullan has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Rathmullan?
- Rathmullan has toilets, parking, accessible entry. 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 Buncrana — about 6 km away.