Can you swim at Carne right now?

Carne 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 Carne?

the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Carne 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 Carne?

There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Carne. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.

Is there a lifeguard at Carne?

Yes — Carne has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.

What facilities are there at Carne?

Carne has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Dogs are restricted. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).

Carne

Good to go

No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.

Checked 31 minutes ago against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 2 months ago.

Sea conditions

Water temperature

15.2°C

Cool — comfortable for a shorter swim

Wave height

1.7 m

Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.

Tide

Going out

Low water around 00:00 UTC
High water around 06:00 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

Carne is a level sandy beach adjacent to Carne pier that faces east towards the Irish Sea. There is a dune system to the west of the beach.

This spot’s record

Carne is in Wexford, about 17 km from Wexford. Carne 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), E. coli counts ranged from 1 to 42 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.

Recent bacterial sample results for this bathing water
Date	E. coli	Enterococci	Assessment
1 Sept	10	8	Excellent
24 Aug	10	9	Excellent
17 Aug	10	1	Excellent
10 Aug	10	3	Excellent
4 Aug	42	10	Excellent
27 Jul	10	1	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: YesPublic car parking available onsite
Toilets: Yes
Accessible entry: YesDisabled car parking is provided at the main car park. Beach wheelchair located in car park
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.

Carne is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Carne 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 profile

What Excellent, Good, Sufficient and Poor actually mean

Common questions

Can you swim at Carne right now?: Carne 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 Carne?: the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Carne 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 Carne?: There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Carne. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
Is there a lifeguard at Carne?: Yes — Carne has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
What facilities are there at Carne?: Carne has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Dogs are restricted. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).

This spot is also in

Get told when this changes

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Nearby swimming spots

See all swimming spots near Wexford — about 17 km away.