Dooey
Dooey is one of the waters the EPA tests and grades in County Donegal, 5.6 km north-west of Lettermacaward. The Environmental Protection Agency classified it excellent for water quality for the 2025 season. The register records toilets, parking, bins and an information board.
- Water quality
- Excellent, 2025
- Seasons before
- 2024 Excellent, 2023 Excellent, 2022 Excellent
- Water testing
- Tested by the EPA sampled through the season and given a water quality grade
- Season restriction
- None in place
- Pollution after rain
- Prone to short term pollution
- Awards
- Green Coast · the register does not say which year's award
- County
- County Donegal
- Managed by
- Donegal County Council
- Nearest town
- Lettermacaward, 5.6 km north-west of it, in a straight line
- From that town
- 5.6 km by road, about 11 min driving
- Lifeguard
- No
- Toilets
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Access
- No
- Dogs
- Allowed on a lead
- Cars on the beach
- No
- Public transport
- No
- Position
- 54.8735° N, 8.3916° W
- Record changed
- 2026-06-19
What the EPA says about it
Dooey is located close to the towns of Glenties and Dungloe which are located on the western coast of County Donegal. Dooey beach is a long sandy beach approximately 3km long on the Atlantic coast of Ireland. The beach is contained to the south by the Gweebarra estuary and sheltered to the north by the headland. The beach is west facing into the Atlantic Ocean and gets a strongwash of water from the rough sea directly onto the beach. It is an extensive sandy beach in a rural environment. The beach is backed by an extensive and majestic sand dune system with a well defined primary duneridge.
Dooey is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Dooey 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.
Where it is
Dooey, and the other places to swim in County Donegal. Share your position and the map will show how far each one is from you.
Getting to Dooey
About these directions
Public transport times come from National Transport Authority. Timetables cover 2026-09-18 to 2027-09-19. These are scheduled services; check with the operator for cancellations and changes before travelling.
Walking and driving times are estimates. A town search starts at its centre; choose your location or a point on the map for a more precise starting point. Eircode search is not available.
How journey planning worksDestination, access and nearby stops
Dooey is in Lettermacaward, County Donegal. Routes here end at the point the map records for this place. The entrance has not been verified, so the last few metres are for you to judge.
No scheduled stop was found within 2.5 km of Dooey. On-demand services may not be included.
Getting to Lettermacaward covers the journeys into the town itself.
Other places to swim in County Donegal
Questions people ask
Is the water clean at Dooey?
Is swimming restricted at Dooey?
Does Dooey have a Blue Flag?
Is there a lifeguard at Dooey?
How do you get to Dooey without a car?
Where does this come from?
Water quality, awards, lifeguards, toilets, parking and access are the Environmental Protection Agency’s own fields, from its bathing water register, read 2026-09-20. The classification covers four years of sampling and is not a reading for today: after heavy rain the water can be worse than the classification suggests, and the EPA and the local authority post notices when it is. Positions are the EPA’s grid references, projected to latitude and longitude. Journeys are the National Transport Authority’s published timetable.
Beaches and bathing waters in Ireland·Beaches in County Donegal