- Water quality Excellent sampled 2 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 14.7 °C surface, modelled
- Air 13 °C Partly cloudy
- Wind 11 mph from NW · gust 21
- Next tide Low 03:40 tomorrow · 0.6 m
Ballyhornan is a small village and townland in eastern County Down, Northern Ireland. It is located along the Irish Sea coast, less than 10 miles from Downpatrick. The village had a population of 455 at the 2021 census. It lies near the site of the former RAF Bishopscourt installation, which closed in 1990, and much of the housing outside the boundaries of the traditional settlement was used by RAF airmen.
Adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Conditions now
Air
13°C
Partly cloudy
Sea temp
14.7°C
surface, modelled
Wind
11mph
from NW · gust 21 mph
Sea state0.7 mperiod 4 s · W
Swell0.2 m4 s · SW
Rain, 48 h4 mm
Water quality
Latest sample 2 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 170, intestinal enterococci 63 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 2026 | 170 | 63 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 5 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2026 | 18 | 11 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jul 2026 | 11 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 510 | 12 | Satisfactory | — |
| 9 Jun 2026 | 25 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jun 2026 | 150 | 18 | Excellent | — |
| 28 May 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Sep 2025 | 62 | 19 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2025 | 27 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2025 | 54 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Aug 2025 | 100 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Aug 2025 | 90 | 50 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Jul 2025 | 10 | 17 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2025 | 29 | 24 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jul 2025 | 39 | 39 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jun 2025 | 23 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 18 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Jun 2025 | 39 | 11 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 May 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 May 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Apr 2025 | 26 | 17 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
3 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi · 2 monitored.
Nearest 3
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Spills/yr | Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyhornan North WwPS → Ards Penninsula |
280 yd | To be Determined | — | — |
| Ballyhornan South TPS → Ards Penninsula |
660 yd | To be Determined | — | yes |
| Bishopscourt WwPS → Ballyarnet Burn |
0.9 mi | To be Determined | — | yes |
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Ballyhornan Outfall WwTW (690 yd → Ards Penninsula) · Ardglass WwTW (2.6 mi → Dundrum Bay Outer).
Spill figures are modelled annual predictions, not measured events. Classification is NI Water's own.
Amenities nearby & features
Parking
2
Toilets
1
Cafes & food
1
Pubs & bars
e.g. The Cable Bar
1
Shops
1
Picnic tables
e.g. Ballyhornan Picnic Site
10
Benches
8
Information
4
Bins
2
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Ardglass 3.5 mi
- Killough 4.8 mi
- Strangford 4.9 mi
- Portaferry 5.1 mi
- Portavogie 11.7 mi
Kind and ownership are DAERA's own classification. The feed carries no per-site facility data — call ahead for berthing, fuel, water or shore power.
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Killard
- ASSI Sheepland Coast
- SAC Strangford Lough
- SPA Strangford Lough
- Ramsar Strangford Lough
- MCZ Strangford Lough
Alerts & advisories
Weever fish
Lesser weever fish bury themselves in wet sand around the low-tide line in summer and have venomous dorsal spines. Wear beach shoes and shuffle your feet in the shallows. A sting is intensely painful but rarely serious: immerse the foot in water as hot as you can tolerate (about 40 C) for 30-90 minutes and seek help if a spine remains or swelling spreads.
Midges and clegs
Biting midges and clegs (horseflies) are worst on warm, still, overcast days and around dawn and dusk from late spring to early autumn, especially near dunes, marram grass and standing water. A breeze off the sea keeps them down. Cover up or use repellent at the back of the beach.
Jellyfish
Lion's mane and compass jellyfish are common off the Northern Ireland coast in summer and are often blown inshore and stranded after onshore winds. Lion's mane stings can be severe. Do not rub a sting; rinse with seawater, remove tentacles with a gloved hand or card, and use hot water or a cold pack for pain.
Seasonal dog restrictions
Many Northern Ireland councils restrict dogs from the main bathing area, or require dogs on leads, between 1 May and 30 September (Blue Flag beaches usually exclude dogs from the bathing zone entirely in season). Rules and dates vary by beach and council: check the signage at the entrance and your council's bathing-beach byelaws.