Rossnowlagh
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
14.4°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
0.9 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
Rossnowlagh is west facing consisting of a long sandy beach confined by the Coolmore cliffs to the South and extends up to Inishfad at Durnesh Lake to the North. Rossnowlagh Beach is in the Donegal Bay SPA and is a very large, marine-dominated, site. There is a wide and diverse variety of wildlife including birds and seals. Activities at Rossnowlagh beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, windsurfing, sailing, surfing, power boating, jet skiing, diving and other land based activities on the beach. The designated bathing area is approx. 0.9054km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 2150m. There is a medium sloping gradient off Rossnowlagh Beach with the water depth reaching 1m approx. 20m from the water line.
This spot’s record
Rossnowlagh is in Donegal, about 6 km from Ballyshannon. Rossnowlagh 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 148 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Sept | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 26 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 19 Aug | 148 | 54 | Excellent |
| 12 Aug | 30 | 3 | Excellent |
| 29 Jul | 10 | 4 | Excellent |
| 15 Jul | 20 | 12 | 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
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- Yes
- Dogs
- YesDogs are not permitted in the Blue Flag Area of this beach from 12 pm to 7 pm (1st June - 15th September annually). Dogs are permitted on leads outside the Blue Flag Area at all times.
- Public transport
- Yes
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Rossnowlagh is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Rossnowlagh 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 Rossnowlagh right now?
- Rossnowlagh 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 Rossnowlagh?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Rossnowlagh 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 Rossnowlagh?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Rossnowlagh. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Rossnowlagh?
- Yes — Rossnowlagh has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Rossnowlagh?
- Rossnowlagh 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 Ballyshannon — about 6 km away.