Aillebrack/Silverhill 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
14.6°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.6 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
<p dir="LTR" align="LEFT">Aillebrack/Silverhill is a beautiful sandy beach located on the Ballyconneely Peninsula in County Galway. The beach is located approximately 5 km west of the village of Ballyconneely and is accessed by a local road L1106. The area consists of several sandy strands and rocky headlands and its main aspect is to the south. The longest stretch of strand is approximately 340m. A golf course is located to the north and a caravan and camping site is located to the west. It has been awarded a Green Coast Award for many years in recognition of its excellent water quality and community involvement in the management of the area.
This spot’s record
Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach is in Galway, about 44 km from Louisburgh. Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach has been rated Excellent in each of the 3 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2023 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 20 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sept | 10 | 2 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 2 | Excellent |
| 13 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 15 Jun | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 27 May | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 1 Sept | 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
- Not classified2022
- Excellent2023
- Excellent2024
- Excellent2025
This water has improved, from Not classified in 2022 to Excellent in 2025.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- No
- Parking
- No
- Toilets
- No
- Accessible entry
- No
- Dogs
- No
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach achieved and Excellent Water Quality rating in 2024 and 2023. Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach was newly 'identified' in 2021 as a beach for monitoring, management, assessment and reporting under the requirements of the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations. It was not possible to assign an annual water quality rating/classification in 2022 because the minimum number of required samples (at least 16) were not available to calculate the classification. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period (or for less years in certain circumstances) and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach right now?
- Aillebrack/Silverhill 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 Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach 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 Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
This spot is also in
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