Killahoey
Killahoey is one of the waters the EPA tests and grades in County Donegal, 1.3 km east of Dunfanaghy. The Environmental Protection Agency classified it excellent for water quality for the 2025 season. The register records a lifeguard, toilets, parking, bins, 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 Donegal
- Managed by
- Donegal County Council
- Nearest town
- Dunfanaghy, 1.3 km east of it, in a straight line
- From that town
- 1.3 km by road, about 5 min drivingor 1.3 km on foot, about 16 minutes at 4.8 km/h
- Lifeguard
- Yes, hours not recorded
- Toilets
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Access
- A beach wheelchair is available. 100m sandy stretch onto beach.
- Dogs
- Dogs are not permitted in the Blue Flag Area of the beach from 12 pm to 7 pm (1st June to 15th September annually). Dogs are permitted on leads outside the Blue Flag Area at all times.
- Cars on the beach
- No
- Public transport
- The register records some
- Protected area
- Recorded as a natural sensitive area
- Position
- 55.1870° N, 7.9525° W
- Record changed
- 2026-03-23
What the EPA says about it
Killahoey beach consists of a sandy beach with a large inflowing estuary including a large mud flat at the east of the beach. These are exposed at times during the tidal phase during the day. Killahoey beach is a diverse coastal site containing a wide range of habitats from high rocky quartzite cliffs in the north to mud flats, sand flats, dunes and a brackish lake in the south. These different habitats support a wide variety of wildlife and plant species. Killahoey beach is a proposed NHA (National Heritage Area). It is also part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Activities at Killahoey beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, windsurfing and other land-based activities such as football, horse riding, kite flying, etc. The bathing area is designated and is approx. 0.6707km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 1570m. The depth of the water on the shoreline increases within 2 meters off the shore to a depth of 1 meter and gradually increases to greater than 2 meters with the slope of the shore.
Killahoey is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Killahoey 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
Killahoey, 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 Killahoey
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
Killahoey is in Dunfanaghy, 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.
The nearest scheduled stop is Dunfanaghy (13579), 1.3 km away in a straight line. Use the planner to check walking connections for your journey.
- Dunfanaghy 1.3 km
buses 932A, 932, 964 and 965Scheduled departures from this stop
Getting to Dunfanaghy covers the journeys into the town itself.
Other places to swim in County Donegal
Questions people ask
Is the water clean at Killahoey?
Is swimming restricted at Killahoey?
Does Killahoey have a Blue Flag?
Is there a lifeguard at Killahoey?
How do you get to Killahoey 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