Rush, South Beach
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
13.8°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
Rush South Beach is a gently sloping sandy beach consisting of a large sandy dune area at the rear of the beach. There is a rocky headland to the North providing some shelter to the beach.
This spot’s record
Rush, South Beach is in Dublin, about 12 km from Balbriggan. Rush, South Beach was rated Good in 2025 by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Its previous classifications were Good in 2024, Good in 2023 and Excellent in 2022, so the rating here has moved rather than held. In the previous bathing season Rush, South Beach was under a short-term pollution restriction on 6 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 62 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 29 June 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 | 52 | 20 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 30 | 3 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 27 Jul | 10 | 5 | Excellent |
| 20 Jul | 31 | 4 | Excellent |
| 13 Jul | 10 | 5 | 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
- Good2023
- Good2024
- Good2025
This water has declined, from Excellent in 2022 to Good in 2025.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- Yes11am to 7pm weekends only in June & full time July & August
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- Yes
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- YesBus Route
Official water quality
Classified Good in 2025.
Rush, South Beach is classified as achieving Good Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Rush, South Beach achieved a Good Water Qualtiy rating in 2024 and 2023, and an Excellent Water Quality rating in 2022. 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 Rush, South Beach right now?
- Rush, South Beach 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 Rush, South Beach?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Rush, South Beach 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 Rush, South Beach?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Rush, South Beach. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Rush, South Beach?
- Yes — Rush, South Beach has lifeguard cover. Hours: 11am to 7pm weekends only in June & full time July & August. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Rush, South Beach?
- Rush, South Beach has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
This spot is also in
Get told when this changes
We’ll email you when the swim status at Rush, South Beach moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.
Your address is used for these alerts and nothing else, is never shared, and is deleted the moment you unsubscribe — a link is in every email.
Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Balbriggan — about 12 km away.