County Galway

Omey Island Strand

Omey Island Strand is on the EPA's list of places people swim, though not one of the waters it tests in County Galway, 1.1 km south-west of Claddaghduff. The State does not test the water here, so there is no grade. The register records a lifebuoy. It leaves 2 of the questions on this page unanswered, and those are shown as not recorded rather than as a no.

Blue Flag

lifeguard

1.1 km

from Claddaghduff

Water quality: Not monitored for a classification
Water testing: Not tested by the EPA on its list, but not sampled for a grade
Season restriction: Not recorded
Pollution after rain: Not recorded
Awards: None
County: County Galway
Managed by: Galway County Council
Nearest town: Claddaghduff, 1.1 km south-west of it, in a straight line
From that town: 1.8 km by road, about 12 min drivingor 1.8 km on foot, about 22 minutes at 4.8 km/h
Lifeguard: No
Toilets: No
Parking: No
Access: drive onto beach
Dogs: Allowed on a lead
Cars on the beach: Allowed
Public transport: No
Position: 53.5354° N, 10.1491° W
Record changed: 2023-09-16

Omey Island: the island end of the causeway across the strand·Keith Salvesen, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Omey Island: the island end of the causeway across the strand·Keith Salvesen, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The way across the sands to Omey Island·Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The way across the sands to Omey Island·Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

What the EPA says about it

Omey is a sheltered island located 600m approx. off shore. The island is 1 sq. mile and is covered by wind blown sandy soils. Access is by Connemara's only sub sea road via the village of Claddaghduff. The beach is to the northern edge of the island. There is an early Christian monastic site and it is a good place to view rolling Atlantic surf, dolphins and choughs. The interior of the island is taken up by Fahy Lough where swans, ducks, brown trout and the occasional pair of otters can be seen.

Where it is

Omey Island Strand, and the other places to swim in County Galway. Share your position and the map will show how far each one is from you.

Getting to Omey Island Strand

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 works

Destination, access and nearby stops

Omey Island Strand is in Claddaghduff, County Galway. 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 settlement is Claddaghduff, 1.1 km south-west of the beach. The register records no parking here. Getting to the town is not getting to the beach, so the journey below is worked out to the beach itself and the last stretch on foot is measured rather than left out.

Get directions

Or open it inGoogle Mapsdirections Apple Mapsdirections Wazedriving satnav

Stops near it

No scheduled stop was found within 2.5 km of Omey Island Strand. On-demand services may not be included.

Getting to Claddaghduff covers the journeys into the town itself.

Other places to swim in County Galway

Questions people ask

Is the water clean at Omey Island Strand?

Omey Island Strand is on the EPA's list but is not one of the waters it tests, so the State works out no grade for it and none exists. Nothing here says the water is clean or dirty, because nobody has published either.

Is swimming restricted at Omey Island Strand?

The register leaves this blank for Omey Island Strand, which it does for the 89 waters it does not monitor. A blank is not a no. Check with Galway County Council.

Does Omey Island Strand have a Blue Flag?

No. A beach without one can still have excellent water: the Blue Flag also asks for facilities, lifeguards and information boards, which a quiet strand may not have.

Is there a lifeguard at Omey Island Strand?

No. The register records no lifeguard here, so nobody is watching the water.

How do you get to Omey Island Strand without a car?

No stop in the national timetable is within two and a half kilometres of Omey Island Strand. That is what the published timetable holds rather than a statement that nothing goes near: services that run on demand, and routes that file no schedule, are not in the feed at all.

Where does this come from?

The Environmental Protection Agency's list of places people swim, which it calls the bathing water register, read on 2026-09-20, where this record was last changed on 2023-09-16. Water quality, awards, lifeguards and facilities are the EPA's own fields, and a field it leaves blank is shown as not recorded rather than as a no. The distance to the nearest town is this site's own measurement, in a straight line.

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 Galway