Merrion Strand
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 6 days ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.2°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
Merrion beach is a sandy beach with a gradual slope which makes the water too shallow for any real swimming. There is a large inlet of water that remains even at low tide and is known locally as "Cockle Lake". Although Merrion Strand itself has little flora or fauna due to its positioning and coastal connection to Sean Moore Park and the lrishtown nature Reserve, it is a nationally important area for migrating birds.Merrion Strand had been an identified/regulated bathing water and was monitored and managed under the terms of the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations. Merrion Strand was declassified in 2020 due to Poor water quality - it had been classified as Poor for five consecutive years (2015 to 2019). Merrion Strand is no longer an identified/regulated bathing water, but continues to be monitored by Dublin City Council as an other monitored water.
This spot’s record
Merrion Strand is in Dublin, about 5 km from Dublin. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 932 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 14 July 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Sept | 457 | 240 | Sufficient |
| 7 Sept | 288 | 200 | Good |
| 31 Aug | 31 | 25 | Excellent |
| 30 Aug | 173 | 53 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 98 | 7 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 52 | 120 | Good |
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
- No
- Dogs
- YesReference bye law for the control of dogs
- Public transport
- YesThe beach is served by both train and bus
Official water quality
This spot has no official annual classification.
Common questions
- Can you swim at Merrion Strand right now?
- Merrion Strand 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 Merrion Strand?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for Merrion Strand. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
This spot is also in
Get told when this changes
We’ll email you when the swim status at Merrion Strand moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Dublin — about 5 km away.