Inch
Inch is one of the waters the EPA tests and grades in County Kerry, 5.2 km east of Annascaul. The Environmental Protection Agency classified it excellent for water quality for the 2025 season. The register records a lifeguard, toilets, parking, bins, recycling, a lifebuoy, first aid, an information board and a beach wheelchair.
- 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
- Blue Flag · the register does not say which year's award
- County
- County Kerry
- Managed by
- Kerry County Council
- Nearest town
- Annascaul, 5.2 km east of it, in a straight line
- From that town
- 8.2 km by road, about 14 min driving
- Lifeguard
- Yes, hours not recorded
- Toilets
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Access
- A beach wheelchair is available
- Dogs
- Dogs are not allowed on the Blue-Flag section of the Beach (ie. within the Lifeguard Patrol area) between 11am and 7pm each day from the 1st June to 15th September inclusive.
- Cars on the beach
- Vehicles are only permitted to access the designated parking area on the beach (from the main access point for a distance 1km south of that point).
- Public transport
- No
- First aid
- Available from Lifeguard hut
- Protected area
- Recorded as a natural sensitive area
- Position
- 52.1359° N, 9.9831° W
- Record changed
- 2026-02-25
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What the EPA says about it
Inch Strand is an exposed sandy beach, facing due west into Dingle Bay and to the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The sand dune system supports a variety of plant species. There are areas of salt marsh and mudflats which support a variety of bird species. Inch Spit is located within the greater Castlemaine Harbour Special Area of Conservation (Site Code 000343). In accordance with the EU Birds directive parts of Castlemaine Harbour and Dingle Bay are designated Special Protection Areas and also designated shellfish areas. Activities are regulated under the Kerry County Council Beach Bye-Laws, 2013. The full extent of the beach on Inch Spit is approximately 5km in length, however, the identified bathing waters comprise only 1.4km of this.
Inch is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Inch 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
Inch, and the other places to swim in County Kerry. Share your position and the map will show how far each one is from you.
Getting to Inch
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
Inch is in Annascaul, County Kerry. 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.
The nearest scheduled stop is Inch (637451), 760 m away in a straight line. Use the planner to check walking connections for your journey.
- Inch 760 m
bus 276Scheduled departures from this stop
- Inch Church 2.0 km
bus 276Scheduled departures from this stop
Getting to Annascaul covers the journeys into the town itself.
Other places to swim in County Kerry
Questions people ask
Is the water clean at Inch?
Is swimming restricted at Inch?
Does Inch have a Blue Flag?
Is there a lifeguard at Inch?
How do you get to Inch 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 Kerry