Morriscastle
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
15.0°C
Cool — comfortable for a shorter swim
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
Morriscastle beach is a rural peaceful fine-sand beach with a relatively gentle slope. The sand type is soft and wind blown. The sand dunes extend approximately 100m to the rear (west) of the beach. There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach. The Kilmuckridge-Tinaberna sand hills support dune habitat types, which make them a Special Area of Conservation. As Morriscastle beach falls within this area, it is an SAC. The bathing area is approximately 1.0 km long and 0.2 km² in area.
This spot’s record
Morriscastle is in Wexford, about 18 km from Gorey. Morriscastle 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 10 to 31 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 29 June 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 | 20 | 3 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 2 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 20 | 4 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 4 Aug | 20 | 1 | 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
- 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.
Morriscastle is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Morriscastle 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 Morriscastle right now?
- Morriscastle 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 Morriscastle?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Morriscastle 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 Morriscastle?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Morriscastle. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Morriscastle?
- Yes — Morriscastle has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Morriscastle?
- Morriscastle has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Dogs are restricted. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Gorey — about 18 km away.