Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach
Caution
This spot is classified Sufficient — it meets the minimum bathing-water standard, but it's the lowest passing grade.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 1 month ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
13.5°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
0.9 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Coming in
- High water around UTC
- Low 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
Balbriggan Front Beach is a small flat sandy beach with an adjacent working harbour.
This spot’s record
Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach is in Dublin, about 0 km from Balbriggan. Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach was rated Sufficient in 2025 by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Its previous classifications were Poor in 2023 and Poor in 2022, so the rating here has moved rather than held. In the previous bathing season Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach was under a short-term pollution restriction on 11 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 122 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sept | 31 | 6 | Excellent |
| 10 Sept | 10 | 6 | Excellent |
| 7 Sept | 31 | 8 | Excellent |
| 31 Aug | 120 | 370 | Poor |
| 24 Aug | 63 | 12 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 20 | 10 | 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
- Poor2022
- Poor2023
- Not classified2024
- Sufficient2025
This water has improved, from Poor in 2022 to Sufficient in 2025.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- Yes11am - 7pm weekends only in June and fulltime in July and August
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- YesPublic toilets (temp) at entrance to beach (near Harbour)
- Accessible entry
- No
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- YesAdjacent to Balbriggan Train Station
Official water quality
Classified Sufficient in 2025.
Balbriggan, Front Strand is classified as achieving Sufficient Water Quality in 2025 based on assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2024 and 2025. Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach was assigned a changes class in 2024 on the basis of improvement works carried out by Fingal County Council. Balbriggan, Front strand was classified as having Poor Water Quality rating in the years 2022 and 2023. 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 Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach right now?
- Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach is currently marked "Caution". This spot is classified Sufficient — it meets the minimum bathing-water standard, but it's the lowest passing grade. 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 Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach as Sufficient 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 Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach?
- Yes — Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach has lifeguard cover. Hours: 11am - 7pm weekends only in June and fulltime in July and August. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach?
- Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach has toilets, parking. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
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See all swimming spots near Balbriggan — about 0 km away.