Ballyloughane Beach
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 25 days ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.7°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
0.3 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
Ballyloughane Beach is a popular urban, shallow and sandy beach (~320m in length). Activities include swimming at both high and low tide.
This spot’s record
Ballyloughane Beach is in Galway, about 2 km from Galway. Ballyloughane Beach was rated Good in 2025 by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Its previous classifications were Excellent in 2024, Excellent in 2023 and Good in 2022, so the rating here has moved rather than held. In the previous bathing season Ballyloughane Beach was under a short-term pollution restriction on 26 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 2,489 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 4 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 | 185 | 48 | Excellent |
| 7 Sept | 75 | 16 | Excellent |
| 31 Aug | 226 | 78 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 359 | 63 | Good |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 8 | 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
- Good2022
- Excellent2023
- Excellent2024
- Good2025
This water's rating has varied over the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- YesLife Guard hut marked on beach map and is yellow & red in colour. Lifeguarded Zone is between yellow and red flags. Do not swim if all red flags are flying.
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- YesAccess ramps available
- Dogs
- NoRefer to beach code of conduct and dog control bye-laws 2008
- Public transport
- YesBus stop located 5 mins walk from beach
Official water quality
Classified Good in 2025.
Ballyloughane Beach is classified as achieving Good Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Ballyloughane Beach achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating in 2023 and 2024, Good 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 Ballyloughane Beach right now?
- Ballyloughane 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 Ballyloughane Beach?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Ballyloughane 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 Ballyloughane Beach?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Ballyloughane Beach. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Ballyloughane Beach?
- Yes — Ballyloughane Beach has lifeguard cover. Hours: Life Guard hut marked on beach map and is yellow & red in colour. Lifeguarded Zone is between yellow and red flags. Do not swim if all red flags are flying.. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Ballyloughane Beach?
- Ballyloughane Beach has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Dogs are restricted. 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 Galway — about 2 km away.