Ballinesker
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
14.9°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.2 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
Ballinesker is a rural peaceful fine-sand beach with a relatively gentle slope. The sand type is soft and windblown and often covers the wooden walkway. Deposition offshore into a series of sand-banks offers protection to the beach. The sand dunes extend approximately 70m to the rear (west) of the beach. There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach. Ballinesker beach is also a popular fishing spot. The beach is also used by a limited number of surfers, windsurfers and canoeists. The bathing area is approximately 1.0 km long and approximately 0.2 km² in area.
This spot’s record
Ballinesker is in Wexford, about 10 km from Wexford. Ballinesker has been rated Excellent in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2022 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), every E. coli count came back at 10 per 100 ml.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 4 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 27 Jul | 10 | 3 | 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
- Excellent2023
- Excellent2024
- Excellent2025
This water has been rated Excellent in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- YesWooden boardwalk
- Dogs
- No1st June and 15th September: no dogs in blue flag area between lifeguard markers from 11:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs. Dogs on a lead are permitted through the blue flag area to access other beach areas.
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Ballinesker is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Ballinesker has achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating for the four consecutive years 2022 to 2025. 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 Ballinesker right now?
- Ballinesker 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 Ballinesker?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Ballinesker 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 Ballinesker?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Ballinesker. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Ballinesker?
- Yes — Ballinesker has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Ballinesker?
- Ballinesker 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 Wexford — about 10 km away.