Best Beach in Ireland?

Raiser

I arrived in Barleycove Beach in Cork last Summer on a recommendation from a Local and was absolutely stunned on arrival.

I think its my favourite yet in Ireland, there's something so different about it from the moment you head across that Pontoon Bridge to get there, to the feeling of being of a kind of Beach Island in the Bay.

- So what do ye think, is there nicer ones in Ireland because if there is I want to find out where exactly and then visit them soon!!!

Barley Cove Photo 1
Barley Cove Photo 2

minidazzler

Only problem with that beach is it is VERY VERY dangerous to swim there, very strong currents along one side of it.

I camped there for a year or so ago with a friend, it's a good place.

Good surfing there, if the surf is on.

That said...I love Roberts Cove, it's nice and covered, great on a sunny day.

Banna beach would be my favourite.

poisonated

I like Stradbally in Waterford and Brittas bay in Wicklow.There is also one very near Arklow which is nice!

My favourite used to be Brittas bay because you could get a nice chipper there.I don't think they have it anymore though. My favourite now is probably Stradbally.

Battleflag

Lahinch in County Clare.... great for surfing

fontanalis

Rossnowlagh and Enniscrone spring to mind.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Keem bay on Achill island is the nicest that I've seen

Keem Bay

ljohnson

Kilmuckeridge Co Wexford abotu 20 mins from Gorey

Luno

I'd say Inchydoney would be a nice one, although Barley Cove is lovely...

Roberts Cove wouldn't do much for me but if you enjoy a light hill walk aswell the views from the hills are quite nice!
Some pics I took when I was down there last summer here & here Last one

Enniscrone is nice aswell!

Any sandy beach usually does the trick for me though, shame we don't get the weather to get the maximum enjoyment out of the beaches!:(

kippy

Ramiro Wooden Posy wrote: »

Keem bay on Achill island is the nicest that I've seen

Keem Bay

Keem Beach - By far the best/nicest in the country.
Keel Beach
Rosknowlagh

Sheeps

Gorteen Bay or Dog's bay in Roundstone, Connemara.

Gorteen:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Gorteen_bay_-_Errisbeg.JPG
http://mediacache-s3eu.daft.ie/O1FJ10KHwFuU_gR8hPzcL7uPffGfteC7jehky3Rdh3dtPWRhZnQmbD02MDA=.jpg

Dogs Bay:
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/RHPOD/762-290.jpg

Fratton Fred

Sandycove, the proper one that is, not the dodgy looking place in Cork.

Sandycove is actually the main mating ground for the not so rare and ever increasing "Greater Spotted Knacker" and warm summer weather brings with it the unmistakable mating calls of "****in hell Anto ya bleedin bollox yiz spilt the babies milk allover me bleedin smokes"

To which the response of "fcuk off Siobhan ya bleedin kunt" usually leads to the young couple making their ninth baby before stealing a car and heading off home to the Noggin to do their homework.

Such a romantic spot.

GLaDOS

Dollymount


Oh, best beach, sorry

byhookorbycrook

As a setting the Trá Bhán on the Blasket is fantastic, but not safe for swimming. Ventry beach is good for long walks and on a warm day, likewise Inch. I love Winstrand on the Dingle pennisula for swimming and sunning. Stradbally in Waterford was where I spent my summer holidays, but the river that flows into the cove is no longer as clean as it once was.

msg11

minidazzler wrote: »

I camped there for a year or so ago with a friend, it's a good place.

Lost ya with that one. You camped there for a year?

Have to give my vote for Bull Island. :cool:

SeaFields

Kells Bay

Kells Bay 2

Totally a matter of preference. Mine is Kells Bay on the ring of Kerry. Beautiful small beach which is nearly always calm. It has a little pier running out the middle and when the tide is in you can jump off the pier into 10feet of crystal clear water. Dolphins and Basking sharks often come in close and when evening comes you can take a stroll out the point and catch a bucket of mackerel for the BBQ.

Gorgeous

minidazzler

msg11 wrote: »

Lost ya with that one. You camped there for a year?

Have to give my vote for Bull Island. :cool:

Damn, camped there for a night a year or so ago!

OutlawPete

Portmarnock.

I love it there, even in the rain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSBLRXqDSoc

who the fug

C **** T ****

ye have just fecked some of the best beaches in Ireland by opening thine gobs

sbsquarepants

Ramiro Wooden Posy wrote: »

Keem bay on Achill island is the nicest that I've seen

Keem Bay

I've been here before, it's absolutely gorgeous. Water was freezing though even on a scorching hot summers day. I'd love to go back and see it in the depths of winter. The cliffs above are spectacular as well. I've been told they're the tallest cliffs in europe, but i'm not certain.

The beach in killmuckridge (morriscastle beach) is also amazing, goes for miles in each direction, practically deserted sometimes, which is always a bonus if you ask me.

Jesus, i love beaches!!

Aidric

Sleigh Head on the Dingle peninsula.

kippy

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I've been here before, it's absolutely gorgeous. Water was freezing though even on a scorching hot summers day. I'd love to go back and see it in the depths of winter. The cliffs above are spectacular as well. I've been told they're the tallest cliffs in europe, but i'm not certain.

The beach in killmuckridge (morriscastle beach) is also amazing, goes for miles in each direction, practically deserted sometimes, which is always a bonus if you ask me.

Jesus, i love beaches!!

Indeed, the cliffs around the point from the beech (you cant see them from the beach) are the highest sea cliffs in Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croaghaun
Theres so much history attached to Keem beach, the buildings there and right above the beach on the mountain.
http://www.visitachill.com/en/keembay.html

Hesh's Umpire

A tiny beach at Duneen Bay in West Cork gets my vote.

sheesh

inch in kerry

Brandon bay is one continous beach in kerry

Derrynane strand

onahealthkick

Tramore its fab

anplaya

eh no,full of sewage.

sbsquarepants

kippy wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croaghaun

That says highest in ireland, third highest in europe. They're spectacular anyway whether they're the third or thirty third! Achill is a beautiful part of the world.

ljohnson

kilmuckeridge wexford

Corruptedmorals

Barleycove. Very dangerous, but the middle is fine- between the flags. There's also Chimney Cove right beside the river, very sheltered. I love that river

Spastafarian

Nuns beach, Ballybunion. You have to abseil a bit to get to it. Which just make it even better.

pikachucheeks

I'm going to vote for Barleycove too
Lovely during the summer!

The waves can be great for surfing / body boarding there!

LD 50

exioot wrote: »

Lahinch in County Clare.... great for surfing

I was there for the surfing a couple of years ago. Absolutely brilliant. I'm dying to go back there now because you mentioned it

lisbon_lions

Has to be a beach with no buildings or crap ruining the landscape.

Its got to be the local beach at Kinnagoe bay in Donegal for me. I surf plenty of others up there but none are anywhere as nice..and they are always empty.

http://www.treanhouse.com/photos/images/localarea/LA11_KinnagoeBay.JPG

InKonspikuou2

Pity Ireland doesn't get better summers. Some nice beaches here and very different from the usual tropical ones. Although the beach i grew up beside as a kid is still my favorite ever.

Playa Blanca, Cartagena

R0ot

The 5 Finger Strand, Inishowen, Donegal

Michellenman

There's this gorgeous beach up in Fanad in northern Donegal. Absolutely beautiful. Grogeous sand and clear blue water. Beautiful in the summer but also fantastic to walk along in the winter. It's also nearly entirely secluded most of the time, perfect

Snowie

ladys cove in stradbaily in waterford is cool tho you have to know where it is... another one being balleydowain cove to...

Also Brandan bay near castle gregory in kerry is awesome and in spring get some really really really nice wabes

neil_hosey

secluded beach i came across on inishbofin a few years ago. heaven on earth. Completely empty

http://img189.imageshack.us/i/34887913.png/
http://img714.imageshack.us/i/47341007127197526749147.jpg/
http://img718.imageshack.us/i/20225581.png/

You can see the 12 bens mountains of connemara in the far distance in the first one


A good 20 maybe 30 minute walk from any road, not that theres much roads on the island.

Mint Sauce

whats so popular about rossnowgh, anytime i've there its always been full of northern reg cars racing up and down doing handbrake turns, neighbouring 'murvagh' beach is so much nicer.

Whispered

silver strand in wicklow. small but lovely.

fontanalis

irish-stew wrote: »

whats so popular about rossnowgh, anytime i've there its always been full of northern reg cars racing up and down doing handbrake turns, neighbouring 'murvagh' beach is so much nicer.

Sitting on a body board with a nice swell bobbing you up and down and the sun setting on a nice september evening, then rushing down the face of a (admitedly small) wave hearing the swoosh and seeing all the sand and seaweed getting sucked up gives a different perspective.
Point taken with all the knobs though.

stvincent

irish-stew wrote: »

whats so popular about rossnowgh, anytime i've there its always been full of northern reg cars racing up and down doing handbrake turns, neighbouring 'murvagh' beach is so much nicer.

Murvagh has no surf and you have to walk for a few hundred meters before you get any depth, especially when the tide is out.

Rossnowlagh for me too.

Safe to swim, has a couple of pubs, sand hills and occasional surf

Although Tullan strand in Bundoran is beautiful to walk and has huge sand hills, it's not really suitable for swimming.

Elenxor

Inch.Annascaul. Co. Kerry.

The most beautiful beach on this planet

Nothing to touch it anywhere.

WIZE

OutlawPete wrote: »

Portmarnock.

I love it there, even in the rain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSBLRXqDSoc

I grew up across the road from that beach .

I miss that beach:(

Mint Sauce

fontanalis wrote: »

Sitting on a body board with a nice swell bobbing you up and down and the sun setting on a nice september evening, then rushing down the face of a (admitedly small) wave hearing the swoosh and seeing all the sand and seaweed getting sucked up gives a different perspective.
Point taken with all the knobs though.

stvincent wrote: »

Murvagh has no surf and you have to walk for a few hundred meters before you get any depth, especially when the tide is out.

Rossnowlagh for me too.

Safe to swim, has a couple of pubs, sand hills and occasional surf

Although Tullan strand in Bundoran is beautiful to walk and has huge sand hills, it's not really suitable for swimming.

yes, the waves/swell is nice at rossnowlagh, any time i've been there spent the whole time in the water away from the crowd. just like the peacefulness you get at murvagh, more secluded.

stvincent

Sandhills on Tullan strand

byhookorbycrook

Snow-Monkey wrote: »

ladys cove in stradbaily in Waterford is cool tho you have to know where it is... another one being balleydowain cove to...

Also Brandan bay near castle gregory in kerry is awesome and in spring get some really really really nice wabes

Ballydwan has unsafe cliffs, be careful. Ladycove or as my mother calls it (she was raised up the road from Ballyvooney)Cuan na gcailín isn't the easiest to get to, apparently when I was a tiny child a neighbour used to put me in her apron and carry me down, much to the horror of my mother.

Raiser

Thanks for all the replies - there have been some incredible suggestions and some of the photos are truly amazing.

One thing I've only discovered late in life is that a visit to a nice Irish Beach on a dry, bright/sunny day any Month of the year is a fantastic way to spend a few hours - just wear a decent jacket, scarf and hat.

Garretstown Beach January 5pm (after Sunday Dinner in Speckled Door)

Sandycove near Kinsale in February

- The Ladies Beach in Ballybunion is a great choice also as the Cliffs provide an excellent natural wind-breaker!!!

Dudess

There are loads, but the one at the forefront of my mind is Inchydoney in west Cork, near Clonakilty.

Little Acorn

Some nice Sligo beaches:
Lissadell Beach
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/2636694443_9b6b217988.jpg?v=0

Streedagh Beach Sligo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82D_bti7mXg

http://s3.amazonaws.com/picable/2009/07/22/1192223_Streedagh-Beach-at-Sunset_620.jpg

Rosses Point Beach Sligo
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2608683949_78aef88f54.jpg?v=0

http://www.radford.edu/eurotrails/Yeats_Tour_Day_2/Rosses-Point.jpg

Mullaghmore Beach Sligo
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/17508864.jpg

Donegal:
Warden Beach
http://www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/ireland/warden_beach_portsalon_donegal_co_ulster_ireland_photo_roger_kinkead.jpg

Marbel Hill
http://scaneveryphoto.com/images/Marbel%20Hill%20Beach%20Donegal%20(1%20of%201).jpg

K-9

Marble Hill, near Dunfanaghy in Donegal is nice. Stunning views.

Culdaff beach in Inishown is hard to beat, think it was voted one of the top beaches in Europe before:

Culdaff Beach | Vacation trips to Ireland | Ireland 2010

rebel10

Elenxor wrote: »

Inch.Annascaul. Co. Kerry.

The most beautiful beach on this planet

Nothing to touch it anywhere.

Never got the magic of this place, spent a few weeks there a few years ago. Just a beach with cars driving up and down and up and down. Nothing that really sets it apart from others. The dunes are mucho fun though. Have to say barleycove has a special effect on me!