- Water quality Excellent sampled 15 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.3 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.4 m period 3 s · NE
- Wind 6 mph from NW · gust 10
- Next tide High 05:02 today · 4.0 m
Fragile dune reserve and beach on Dundrum Bay; boardwalk access only.
Conditions now
Air
7°C
Partly cloudy
Swell
0.3m
period 3 s · NE
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
Water quality
A designated bathing water: DAERA samples it weekly through the bathing season (1 June–15 September).
Latest sample 15 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 160, intestinal enterococci 39 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2026 | 160 | 39 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Sep 2026 | 20 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2026 | 31 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Aug 2026 | 26 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 10 | 20 | Excellent | — |
| 5 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2026 | 19 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 27 | 26 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jul 2026 | 62 | 21 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 29 | 11 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 May 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Sep 2025 | 21 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2025 | 620 | 120 | Satisfactory | — |
| 20 Aug 2025 | 13 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Aug 2025 | 15 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Aug 2025 | 23 | 16 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jun 2025 | 18 | 17 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 18 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 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
1 NI Water storm overflow within 1.2 mi — 1 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~6 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 1 combined
Measured in 202530 spills143 h · 11 in the bathing season · 1 of 1 monitored
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourneview Newcastle WwPS → Carrigs River |
0.7 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~6 | 30 spills 11 in season · 143 h |
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: Dundrum WwTW (1.4 mi → South Down) · Maghera Down WwTW (1.8 mi → Carrigs River).
Amenities & features
Parking
e.g. Murlough NNR Main Car Park
2
Toilets
1
Lifeguard
1
Picnic tables
8
Benches
9
Bike parking
1
Viewpoints
1
Information
10
Bins
10
Blue Flag 2026
RNLI lifeguards in season
Dogs, access & rules
Dogs on leads
- Dogs: National Trust reserve: dogs on a short lead at all times to protect ground-nesting birds and grazing stock; a boardwalk route only. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Dundrum 1.9 mi
- Newcastle 2.6 mi
- Annalong 8.7 mi
2 more further away
- Killough 8.9 mi
- Ardglass 10.3 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Murlough
2 protected features
- Intertidal mudflats and sandflats Favourable, 2021
- Harbour seal Phoca vitulina Favourable, 2018
- SAC Murlough
3 protected features
- Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide Favourable, 2021
- Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time Favourable, 2016
- Harbour seal Phoca vitulina Favourable, 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.