- Water quality Excellent sampled 4 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 14.9 °C surface, modelled
- Air 13 °C Clear
- Wind 12 mph from NW · gust 20
- Next tide Low 03:47 tomorrow · 0.6 m
Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about 18 miles (29 km) east of Belfast and about six miles (10 km) south east of Bangor. It is in the civil parish of Donaghadee and the historic barony of Ards Lower. The town had a population of 7,325 people in the 2021 census.
Adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Conditions now
Air
13°C
Clear
Sea temp
14.9°C
surface, modelled
Wind
12mph
from NW · gust 20 mph
Sea state0.9 mperiod 5 s · NW
Swell0.6 m5 s · N
Rain, 48 h1 mm
Water quality
Latest sample 4 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 17, intestinal enterococci 10 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep 2026 | 17 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Sep 2026 | 11 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Aug 2026 | 320 | 310 | Satisfactory | — |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 860 | 700 | Satisfactory | — |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 240 | 80 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2026 | 32 | 21 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2026 | 21 | 27 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2026 | 36 | 59 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jul 2026 | 90 | 280 | Satisfactory | — |
| 27 Jul 2026 | 72 | 18 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 10 | 13 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2026 | 78 | 60 | Excellent | — |
| 7 Jul 2026 | 23 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 20 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2026 | 10 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 120 | 120 | Good | — |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 16 | 65 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 34 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2026 | 22 | 13 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Sep 2025 | 24 | 25 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2025 | 500 | 530 | Satisfactory | — |
| 1 Sep 2025 | 13 | 16 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 34 | 14 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2025 | 60 | 70 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2025 | 100 | 50 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jul 2025 | 440 | 520 | Satisfactory | — |
| 17 Jul 2025 | 10 | 16 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 51 | 90 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Jun 2025 | 63 | 21 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2025 | 21 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Jun 2025 | 120 | 320 | Satisfactory | — |
| 11 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2025 | 10 | 13 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2025 | 80 | 16 | Excellent | — |
| 19 May 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
27 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 26 rated Unsatisfactory. Modelled ~313 spills/year combined.
Nearest 12
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Spills/yr | Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manor Wood WwPS → Strangford |
440 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | — |
| Warren Road Four WwPS → Belfast Lough |
830 yd | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Ashfield Donaghadee WwPS → Strangford |
0.5 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~2 | — |
| Breckenridge WwPS → Belfast Lough |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Warren Road East CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~20 | — |
| Bridge Street Shore CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Moat Street Moat Farm 2 CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Shore Street Moat CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~18 | — |
| High Street Townhall CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
| Warren Road Shore CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~11 | — |
| East Street Castle CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~4 | — |
| High Street Hunters CSO → Ards Penninsula |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~4 | — |
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Killaughey Road 252-254 ST (1.9 mi → Strangford) · Windmill Road 71-73 ST (2.2 mi → Strangford).
Spill figures are modelled annual predictions, not measured events. Classification is NI Water's own.
Amenities nearby & features
Parking
31
Toilets
2
Cafes & food
e.g. The Stormy Cup
3
Pubs & bars
e.g. Grace Neill's Bar
4
Shops
e.g. Russell's Food & Drink
4
Picnic tables
11
Benches
17
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Donaghadee 470 yd
- Groomsport 4.0 mi
- Bangor 5.6 mi
- Bangor 5.7 mi
- Ballywalter 7.3 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 Outer Ards
- SAC North Channel
- SPA Outer Ards
- Ramsar Outer Ards
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.