Leinster

Best Beaches in Leinster

The best beaches in Leinster, from Brittas Bay to Curracloe, with 2026 Blue Flag status, what each is good for (swimming, families, surf, walks), plus the parking and facilities you can actually count on.

Photo by E Vos / Unsplash

The best beaches in Leinster run from the dunes at Brittas Bay in Wicklow down to the long film-set sands of Curracloe in Wexford, with family strands like Bettystown and Velvet Strand in between.

Six of them held a Blue Flag for 2026 (Brittas Bay takes two), the others earn their place on walks, rock pools and surf.

This is the practical version: which beach is best for swimming, which is best for small kids, which has parking that fills by 11am, and where to go next. Blue Flag status here follows the 2026 awards from An Taisce, run the Blue Flag scheme in Ireland to beaches and marinas nationally this year).

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Where are the best beaches in Leinster?

The east coast is quietly good for a normal day out: gentler water, shorter drives from Dublin, and DART access to a fair few of them. Here are the ones worth the trip, county by county.

Brittas Bay, Wicklow

The big one. Brittas Bay is a 5km stretch of white sand backed by high dunes, about an hour south of Dublin, and it carries two Blue Flags for 2026 (the North and South beaches are both flagged). Lifeguards patrol through the summer, and the gradual shelf makes it one of the safer swims on the coast for families.

Good for: swimming, long walks, kids who want room to run.

Getting there and parking: there are pay car parks at both the North and South ends off the R750. Come early on a hot Saturday, the bays fill and the dunes get busy by lunchtime.

Bring: a windbreak (the dunes are exposed) and your own food, the kiosk options are limited.

Magheramore, Wicklow

Ten minutes south of Wicklow Town, Magheramore is the small, quiet cove people drive past Brittas to reach. It is not a Blue Flag beach and has no lifeguard, so it suits paddlers and rock-poolers more than serious swimmers, a sheltered crescent of golden sand with a headland walk above it.

Good for: rock pools, a calmer alternative when Brittas is mobbed, photographers.

Getting there and parking: a paid car park sits above the beach, then a short walk down.

Bring: proper footwear for the path and rocks, and patience on a sunny day, the car park is small.

Greystones South Beach, Wicklow

Greystones South Beach holds a Blue Flag for 2026 and has the rare advantage of being walkable from a DART station, so you can leave the car at home. The harbour end gives you cafes, ice cream and a marina to wander, and the Cliff Walk to Bray starts nearby.

Good for: a car-free day out, swimmers, a town-and-beach combo.

Getting there and parking: DART to Greystones, then a short walk. Drivers will find harbour and town parking that fills on warm weekends.

Bring: swim shoes, the shoreline shelves to shingle in places.

Bray seafront, Wicklow

Bray is shingle rather than soft sand and it is not a Blue Flag beach. What it does have is a mile-long Victorian promenade, plenty of food, and the start of the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk, which is the real reason to come.

Good for: the promenade stroll, the cliff walk, an easy DART trip.

Getting there and parking: DART to Bray (the station is right at the seafront), or paid street and car park spaces nearby.

Bring: walking shoes if you plan to take the cliff path on to Greystones (about 6km, allow two hours).

Curracloe, Wexford

If you only do one beach in the southeast, make it Curracloe. This is the 11km sweep of fine white sand that Steven Spielberg used as Omaha Beach for the opening of Saving Private Ryan, with the Irish Army supplying the D-Day extras. It holds a Blue Flag for 2026 and has the facilities to match, with a surf shack in summer for lessons and refreshments.

Good for: surf and bodyboarding, huge low-tide walks, film fans. \

Getting there and parking: a large free car park (around 500 spaces) sits at the main access point near Curracloe village.

Bring: a wetsuit if you mean to surf, and time, the beach is long enough that you can always find a quiet stretch.

Courtown, Wexford

Courtown is the family resort beach: amusements, crazy golf, an arcade and woodland walks all within a few minutes of the sand. It did not feature in the 2026 Blue Flag awards, but it remains an identified bathing water with summer lifeguard cover.

Good for: younger kids, a rainy-hour backup with the amusements, picnics in the woods. Getting there and parking: roadside and harbour parking near the beach, with a second option a short walk away when the first fills. Bring: change for the amusements and a bag for the woodland loop.

Velvet Strand, Portmarnock, Dublin

Portmarnock's Velvet Strand is the Dublin beach that earns a Blue Flag for 2026, a near-5km stretch of smooth golden sand on the Fingal coast. The headline feature is the DART: take the train to Portmarnock and walk to the sand.

Good for: a quick Dublin sea day, swimming, kite-flying on the open strand.

Getting there and parking: DART to Portmarnock, then a short walk. Drivers get a free beach car park on Strand Road, but it is modest, so the train wins on a sunny day.

Bring: a windbreak, the strand is wide open.

Balcarrick, Donabate, Dublin

A little further up the Fingal coast, Balcarrick Beach at Donabate also holds a Blue Flag for 2026 and tends to be quieter than Portmarnock. It is a wide, dune-backed strand that suits walkers and families who want space.

Good for: a calmer Dublin alternative, dune walks, dog walking out of season. Getting there and parking: there is a beach car park, and Donabate has its own DART station inland. Bring: layers, the peninsula catches the wind.

Bettystown, Meath

Bettystown took a Blue Flag for a third year running in 2026 (Green Coast status too), and it is the rare beach you can drive onto along parts of the strand, which makes the long Meath sands an easy proposition with small children and a boot full of gear.

Good for: families with lots of kit, flat firm sand for walks and cycles, a quick bite after a swim.

Getting there and parking: note there is no general parking on the beach itself at Bettystown; only a small number of Age Friendly and Blue Badge spaces are managed by the beach wardens, so use the village parking and walk down.

Bring: a flask, the cafes are handy but the strand is exposed.

Which Leinster beaches have Blue Flag status in 2026?

Six of these beaches flew a Blue Flag for 2026, with Brittas Bay taking two (North and South). The full list: Brittas Bay and Greystones South in Wicklow, Curracloe in Wexford, Velvet Strand (Portmarnock) and Balcarrick (Donabate) in Dublin, and Bettystown in Meath. The award covers water quality, safety, facilities and environmental management, and it is assessed every year, so check the current list before you travel.

Bray, Magheramore and Courtown did not carry a Blue Flag for 2026. That does not make them bad days out, you just go for the promenade, the rock pools or the amusements rather than the flag.

Make a day of it nearby

The Wicklow beaches sit a short drive from the mountains and Glendalough, so a morning swim at Brittas can roll into an afternoon walk. Our guides to things to do in Wicklow and the best hiking trails in Wicklow map out where to go next.

Down south, Curracloe and Courtown pair neatly with the wider county. The things to do in Wexford guide covers the towns, food and heritage within easy reach of both beaches.

If you would rather let someone else drive the coast, two easy options from Dublin work well as a beach-day alternative. The Howth Coastal half-day bus tour (from €42) takes in the cliffs and the fishing village with a guide, and the Ireland's Eye and Howth coastal boat tour (from €25) gets you out on the water past seals and seabird colonies. Both are honest, low-effort coastal days for anyone who does not want to drive.

When should you go, and what to bring?

June to early September is the sweet spot. Lifeguards are on the flagged beaches through summer (Brittas Bay's typically run from June daily through to September), the surf shack at Curracloe is open, and the water is at its warmest in late August. For the quietest sands, aim for a weekday or arrive before 11am on a weekend, because the car parks at Brittas, Portmarnock and Bettystown fill first.

Pack for the east-coast breeze: a windbreak for the open strands, swim shoes for the shingle at Greystones and Bray and the rocks at Magheramore, and a wetsuit if you mean to surf at Curracloe.

Bring your own food and a flask (kiosks are thin on the dune beaches) and some cash, several car parks are pay-and-display and Courtown's amusements run on coins.

For more on getting out across the province, the things to do in Leinster guide pulls the best of it together.

Where to stay in Wexford

Making a night of it? Browse hotels, guesthouses and places to stay in Wexford:

See places to stay in Wexford on Expedia

Swim safety right now

Live water-quality and bathing-restriction status from the EPA bathing-water record, updated through the swim season. Always check on the day before you go.

Ballymoney, North Beach, Wexford. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Morriscastle, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Port, Lurganboy, Louth. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Brittas Bay North, Wicklow. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Courtown, North Beach, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Curracloe, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June.

Duncannon, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Rosslare Strand, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach, Dublin. rated Sufficient Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Bray South Promenade, Wicklow. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Brittas Bay South, Wicklow. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Clogga, Wicklow. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Dollymount Strand, Dublin. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Tue 16 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Donabate, Balcarrick Beach, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Greystones South, Wicklow. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Killiney, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Restriction in place: Prior Warning bathing water quality may be affected (since Thu 18 June). Risk of deterioration in water quality due to expected heavy rainfall. Read the official bathing notice.

Laytown/Bettystown, Meath. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Loughshinny Beach, Dublin. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Portmarnock, Velvet Strand Beach, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Portrane, the Brook Beach, Dublin. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Rush, South Beach, Dublin. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Sandymount Strand, Dublin. rated Sufficient Quality for 2025. Latest sample Poor on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Restriction in place: Bathing is temporarily prohibited (since Wed 17 June). Water quality deteriorated due to suspected impacts from animals/birds and contamination of urban surface waters discharging into bathing water. Read the official bathing notice.

Seapoint, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Silver Strand, Wicklow. rated Sufficient Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Skerries, South Beach, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Sutton, Burrow Beach, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Clogherhead, Louth. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Seapoint, Louth. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Shelling Hill/Templetown, Louth. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Claremont Beach, Dublin. rated Sufficient Quality for 2025. Latest sample Poor on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Ballinesker, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June.

Rush North Beach, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Carne, Wexford. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Mornington, Meath. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Cullenstown, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Old Bawn, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Culletons Gap, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Cahore, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Ballyhealy, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Booley Bay, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Grange, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

St Helens Bay, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Kilmore Quay Small Beach, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Arklow South Beach, Wicklow. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Forty Foot Bathing Place, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Sandycove Beach, Dublin. rated Good Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

White Rock Beach, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

North Bull Wall, Dublin. Latest sample Poor on Mon 15 June.

Shelley Banks, Dublin. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Kilcoole Beach, Wicklow. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

South of Bray Harbour, Wicklow. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Wicklow Harbour bathing area, Wicklow. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Murrough Beach, Wicklow. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

The Cove Arklow, Wicklow. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Merrion Strand, Dublin. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Rosslare Harbour, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Half Moon, Dublin. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

The Cove Greystones, Wicklow. rated Excellent Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Gormanston Beach, Meath. Latest sample Good on Mon 15 June.

Dun Laoghaire Baths, Dublin. rated Poor Quality for 2025. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Tue 23 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Baginbun, Wexford. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June. Next monitoring Mon 29 June. Flagged for short-term pollution risk after heavy rain.

Coliemore Harbour, Dublin. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Blackrock Baths, Dublin. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Corbawn Lane, Dublin. Latest sample Excellent on Mon 15 June.

Source: EPA bathing-water data (beaches.ie).

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