- Sea temp 12.4 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.5 m period 3 s · NE
- Wind 6 mph from N · gust 10
- Next tide High 04:43 today · 4.6 m
Killough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the Irish Sea shore near Ardglass, five miles southeast of Downpatrick. It is a conservation area known for its sycamore-lined main street. In the 2001 census, it had a population of 845 people.
Adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Conditions now
Air
8°C
Partly cloudy
Swell
0.3m
period 3 s · NE
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
Water quality
Not a designated bathing water — not routinely sampled.
No published samples for this site yet.
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain.
Sewage & storm overflows
5 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi.
Measured in 202548 spills129 h · 12 in the bathing season · 1 of 5 monitored
Nearest 5 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Street Killough CSO → South Down |
240 yd | To be Determined | — | 48 spills 12 in season · 129 h |
| Downpatrick Road WwPS → South Down |
410 yd | To be Determined | — | — |
| Quay Lane CSO → Dundrum Bay Outer |
820 yd | To be Determined | — | — |
| Coneyisland Bay WwPS → South Down |
0.5 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
| Killough FA CSO | 1.0 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
How these are counted
“Modelled” is NI Water's hydraulic-model prediction of spills per year. “Measured” is from NI Water's event duration monitors, counted with the industry 12/24 method (discharges within the same 12- or 24-hour block count as one spill); the bathing-season figure (1 Jun–15 Sep) is our count from NI Water's published discharge log. An overflow with no monitor isn't known to be dry. Classification is NI Water's own.
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Coneyisland WwTW (0.6 mi → Dundrum Bay Outer) · Killough WwTW (1.1 mi → South Down).
Amenities & features
Parking
3
Cafes & food
e.g. Fired
2
Pubs & bars
e.g. Ann Boal Inn
3
Shops
e.g. Mace
1
Picnic tables
6
Benches
21
Bike parking
2
Information
23
Bins
11
Dogs, access & rules
Dogs allowed
- Dogs: No seasonal dog exclusion; keep dogs under control near livestock on the approach. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Killough 670 yd
- Ardglass 1.6 mi
- Dundrum 8.0 mi
2 more further away
- Strangford 8.7 mi
- Portaferry 9.1 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Killough Bay and Strand Lough
3 protected features
- Intertidal rock Favourable, 2021
- Intertidal mudflats and sandflats Favourable, 2021
- Saline lagoons Favourable, 2022
- SPA Killough Bay
1 protected feature · 1 Unfavourable
- Light-bellied Brent goose Unfavourable, 2018
- Ramsar Killough Bay
1 protected feature · 1 Unfavourable
- Light-bellied Brent goose Unfavourable, 2018
Protected features and their latest condition assessment, from DAERA's 2023 marine protected area review. Only sites with a marine part are assessed there.
Alerts & advisories
No advisories active for this beach today.