70 Beaches to Explore in Ireland

A beautiful stretch of white sandy beach in North County Dublin and is a great spot for walking and canoeing. From the beach there are beautiful views of Lambay Island, Howth Peninsula and Malahide Estuary. Explore the many rock pools.

A hidden gem of a beach that is easy to miss travelling from Glenties to Dungloe in Co Donegal. Long sandy beach with sand dunes. There is a surf school here called Wild Atlantic Surf School.A blue flag beach at the heart of Donegal. Nearly 2km of golden sand, sand dunes of special significance, safe for swimming, surfing and bathing.

Duncannon Beach is located in the south west of County Wexford. It is a designated bathing area of approximately a mile long. There are great views from the beach of Hook Head and, across the river, the Waterford coastline. Its sheltered location protects it from the strongest waves and makes it a popular spot for swimming during the summer months.

A beautiful bay located next to Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is divided into the Outer Bay, and the almost entirely landlocked Inner Bay. The bay was home to a roughly year-long "shipwreck" of the SS Great Britain; in actuality, the "wreck" was a period of time in which the ship had run aground of a sandbar. The Dundrum Coastal Path, a part of the larger Lecale Way, is a popular hiking trail that winds along the fronts of the bay; the trek is especially popular with birdwatchers.

Dunmoran Strand is surrounded by dunes and lies in a quite, rural region. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the northwest. A hiking trail leads along the beach and all the way to Aughris Head, 2,5 kilometres away. This beach got Green Coast Award for 2018.

Enniscrone beach is one of the safest and tidiest beaches along the west coast of Ireland. It is almost 5km of fine sand, backed by sand dunes. It offers visitors a wide range of activities for all age groups, including almost 5km of safe beach, world famous seaweed baths, a marvellous 27 hole golf links course, a leisure centre, playground and amusement park.

A fine beach and extensive sand dune system located in Fanore. It is a popular bathing place and has some fantastic views on a clear day. Fanore is a haven for anglers who enjoy fishing for the rocks along this coast road as far as Black head on the road to Ballyvaughan. The area is very popular with walkers, surfers, tourists and is particularly interesting to botanists, owing to its location on the edge of the Burren – renowned for its unique flora and fauna.

This a very impressive beach just a few kilometers outside the fishing port of Killybegs on the south-west coast of County Donegal. In summer this makes a good destination for a family day out with plenty of opportunity to play beach games, build sandcastles and splash around in the waves. The sandy beach is backed by dunes and grassy hills and provides a vast open space.

The beautiful Five Fingers beach is nestled in impressive dunes. These dunes, up to 30 metres high, are among the highest in Europe. The way to this beautiful beach leads past an idyllic church embedded in the dunes. Swimming is not recommended here due to very dangerous undercurrents and rip tides.

Fountainstown beach is located on the South Cork coast, west of the entrance to Cork Harbour and on the northern side of Ringabella Bay. The Front Beach is located at the entrance to the village, facing east towards Ringabella, and is the more frequently used. The beach can be pebbly or sandy, depending on the tides. The Back Beach, which also faces east, is located on a promontory in Ringabella Bay and is generally sandy, though the water is shallow.

This is a white sandy beach with a stunning mountain backdrop. You can enjoy breathtaking scenery and crystal clear waters. Perfect for those looking for a scenic stroll, great snorkelling or a swim with a view. The beach is popular for swimming, snorkelling, walking and sightseeing.

Goat Island is a beach located roughly 5 kilometres west of Ardmore, County Waterford. The inlet where the beach is located faces south and is sheltered to the west side by the island itself. The beach can be found via a windy lane signposted for Goat Island.

Greystones is a beautiful sandy beach located in the centre of the town and right beside the DART train service. The South Beach in Greystones is about half a mile long. It is a mix of pebble and sand and easily accessible from the railway station and car park. The beach is lifeguarded during the bathing season and more information can be found on the notice board located at the beach.

Gurteen Bay is a pretty natural cove located near Roundstone. Magnificent, one appreciates its fine sandy beach, as well as its proximity to a second bay: Dogs Bay. To do to enjoy the sea. The water here is crystal clear and it's used for swimming and other water based activities including windsurfing and kitesurfing. Dogs Bay and Gurteen Bay make up one of the finest stretches of coastline in Connemara with uncompromising views of Errisbeg and the surrounding countryside.

This vast, sandy beach is one of the most beautiful to be found along this stretch of the coastline. The beach has two separate sections, divided by the rocky Virgin Mary Headland. The swell here can be excellent and there are good opportunities for surfing. The beach is also popular with families who come here to play in the sand, picnic and hunt for shells or marine life in the rockpools around the headland.

Kilclief beach is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore of Strangford Lough’s narrows. It is one of the iconic location for a picnic with your family and also there are so many things to see and do here.

This popular beach with its golden sand is sheltered by remarkable cliffs inland. It is one of the most well known and popular areas amongst photographers on the Copper Coast. There is plenty of features there especially if you are willing to explore some more unique areas and compositions. I’m going to break up this post into 2 parts, one focusing on the east side and the second the west side of the beach.

Lahinch is a sandy, crescent-shaped beach in Liscannor Bay on the north west coast of County Clare. The beach directly faces the Atlantic Ocean, meaning it gets the full force of the swells. Lahinch is not always an ideal beach for swimming as the currents can be strong, but there is a lifeguard service during the summer months, and zoning of the beach helps with some safety issues.

A beautiful sandy beach interrupted by the Nanny River. On one side there are dunes, sandy beach and shell bank and on the other side of the river there is a thatched cottage, which is a popular photo motif. A good location for a picnic and also there are so many options for refresh your mind.

This beautiful south-facing beach is very popular with locals and tourists alike. The area is well known for walking, swimming, surfing and other watersports and in winter Bird Watching. There is also a little river which runs along the beach and makes a fantastic playground for kids.