Duncannon
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
14.7°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.5 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
Duncannon beach is a peaceful firm-sand beach with a relatively gentle slope. The sand dunes extend between 5m and 100m to the rear (north) of the beach. There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach. Wild Sage (Salvia verbenaca), a rare species listed in the Irish Red Data Book is found in the dunes. There is a sand sculpting festival which takes place each summer. Attractions include a maritime museum, cockleshell art centre, artist studios, café and craft shop. 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
Duncannon is in Wexford, about 13 km from Waterford. Duncannon was rated Excellent in 2025 by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Its previous classifications were Good in 2024, Sufficient in 2023 and Sufficient in 2022, so the rating here has moved rather than held. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 1,445 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 15 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 7 Aug | 1445 | 700 | Poor |
| 4 Aug | 20 | 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
- Sufficient2022
- Sufficient2023
- Good2024
- Excellent2025
This water has improved, from Sufficient in 2022 to Excellent in 2025.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- YesAccess ramp
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Duncannon is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Duncannon has achieved a Good Water Quality rating in 2024 and Sufficient Water Quality rating for two years 2022 and 2023. 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 Duncannon right now?
- Duncannon 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 Duncannon?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Duncannon 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 Duncannon?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Duncannon. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Duncannon?
- Yes — Duncannon has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Duncannon?
- Duncannon has toilets, parking, accessible entry. 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 Waterford — about 13 km away.