- Water quality Excellent sampled 16 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.3 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.4 m period 3 s · NE
- Wind 4 mph from NW · gust 10
- Next tide High 05:02 today · 4.0 m
Long promenade beach between the Shimna and Burren rivers, under Slieve Donard.
Conditions now
Air
8°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 16 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 70, intestinal enterococci 24 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2026 | 70 | 24 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Sep 2026 | 2800 | 700 | Advice against bathing | — |
| 10 Sep 2026 | 24 | 50 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2026 | 380 | 260 | Satisfactory | — |
| 26 Aug 2026 | 90 | 47 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2026 | 16 | 22 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Aug 2026 | 110 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 10 Aug 2026 | 10 | 44 | Excellent | — |
| 5 Aug 2026 | 18 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2026 | 32 | 15 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2026 | 26 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jul 2026 | 90 | 41 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jun 2026 | 20 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 23 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 300 | 120 | Good | — |
| 1 Jun 2026 | 26 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 May 2026 | 72 | 14 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Sep 2025 | 150 | 41 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Sep 2025 | 28 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2025 | 1100 | 220 | Satisfactory | — |
| 20 Aug 2025 | 30 | 70 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Aug 2025 | 130 | 40 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Aug 2025 | 620 | 1300 | Satisfactory | — |
| 29 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jul 2025 | 25 | 18 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 8 Jul 2025 | 67 | 28 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jun 2025 | 13 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Jun 2025 | 130 | 130 | Good | — |
| 20 Jun 2025 | 42 | 17 | Excellent | — |
| 18 Jun 2025 | 28 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Jun 2025 | 18 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 2 Jun 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
14 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 9 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~45 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 14 combined
Measured in 2025150 spills336 h · 28 in the bathing season · 11 of 14 monitored
Nearest 12 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downs Road CSO → South Down |
450 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~2 | 2 spills 1 in season · <1 h |
| Castle Bridge WwPS → Shimna River |
570 yd | Satisfactory | — | 2 spills 1 in season · <1 h |
| Castle Park Putting Green CSO → South Down |
630 yd | Satisfactory | ~1 | — |
| Burren River Tollymore WwPS → Burren River |
0.5 mi | Satisfactory | ~1 | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Bryansford Grove WwPS → South Down |
0.5 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~4 | 11 spills 2 in season · 45 h |
| Bryansford Meadow WwPS → Shimna River |
0.5 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~9 | 6 spills 1 in season · 1 h |
| Burrenview Court WwPS → South Down |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | 22 spills 3 in season · 5 h |
| Central Promenade CSO → South Down |
0.7 mi | Satisfactory | ~3 | 20 spills 3 in season · 108 h |
| Tullybrannigan Road CSO → South Down |
0.7 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~9 | 50 spills 12 in season · 118 h |
| Rathcillan WwPS → Shimna River |
0.8 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | 3 spills 0 in season · <1 h |
| Murlough CSO → Carrigs River |
0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~10 | 20 spills 2 in season · 53 h |
| Newcastle Harbour WwPS → South Down |
1.0 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 14 spills 3 in season · 6 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: Newcastle WwTW (1.3 mi → Dundrum Bay Outer) · Maghera Down WwTW (1.8 mi → Carrigs River).
Amenities & features
Parking
59
Toilets
5
Cafes & food
e.g. Railway Street Cafe and Brew Bar
38
Pubs & bars
e.g. The Percy French
6
Shops
e.g. Centra
5
Picnic tables
29
Benches
81
Bike parking
10
Information
22
Bins
70
Dogs, access & rules
Seasonal dog restrictions
Accessible parking
- Dogs: Dogs excluded from the central promenade beach at Newcastle in the bathing season; allowed under control towards the harbour and Murlough end. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Newcastle 1.1 mi
- Dundrum 3.5 mi
- Annalong 7.3 mi
2 more further away
- Killough 10.4 mi
- Kilkeel 11.6 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
- ASSI Shimna River
- 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.