Ballyloughan Beach

topper75

I'd like to go swimming here because I live on the east side of town and am tired of the crosstown trek to Salthill in rush hour traffic.

Is the water quality safe here? When I went down to look at low tide, there was a stream running out on the beach. Wasn't inspiring. The Galwegians I live with didn't know much about it, not being the outdoor sort!

Fuinseog

topper75 wrote: »

I'd like to go swimming here because I live on the east side of town and am tired of the crosstown trek to Salthill in rush hour traffic.

Is the water quality safe here? When I went down to look at low tide, there was a stream running out on the beach. Wasn't inspiring. The Galwegians I live with didn't know much about it, not being the outdoor sort!

i would say its okay, thnough you cannot eat the shellfish there.

Xiney

The main problem with swimming at ballyloughan is that the water doesn't get deep enough to swim for a good long while - it's a very gradual slope.

fago

The water quality at the beach isn't great, but acceptable.
The smiley face for the water quality on the notice board is usually flat, sometimes sad, which means no swimming.

Having said that I've been in there a good few times over the last few years, with my kids, and never been sick.

I find Ballyloughan Beach to be nice enough. Check the tides before you go - if it's out, you could be a good 2-3 minutes walking down the beach and even more for it to get deeper.

DOTHEDOG

here ya go tides for the whole year

http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/calendar/year/2085.html

Fuinseog

Xiney wrote: »

The main problem with swimming at ballyloughan is that the water doesn't get deep enough to swim for a good long while - it's a very gradual slope.

which is why you only really see kids splashing about in it. serious swimmers go elsewhere

jkforde

Would suggest emailing environment@galwaycity.ie and ask for the water sampling results for 2009 and 2010 bathing seasons. They usually get back within a day or two.

Edit: here's the Ballyloughane report from last year that I got from them last year

topper75

Elsewhere is indeed preferable (Blackrock is one of my fave swimming spots in all of Ireland), but I have been caught for 45 minutes on occasion crossing the city after work.

A shame to lose time from my evenings like this when there is already access to the sea in the East City. I'm willing to wade kneedeep for 2 minutes to avoid sitting in a crawling car!

I just need to be sure I won't break out in sores after a dip.

Das Kitty

Try the Roscam beach, it's stony but nice for a dip.

Fuinseog

on the suject of swimming why does nobody swim in the corrib( too dirty, too dangerous?)but only in parts. i am talking about swimming, not just jumping in and splashing about.

topper75

Das Kitty wrote: »

Try the Roscam beach, it's stony but nice for a dip.

Thanks Dad Kitty. Can you give rough directions please?

Das Kitty

First right after Galway crystal (oranmore bound) follow the road around under the railway bridge and take first right then first right again down a hill, take the left at the bottom of the hill and follow the road right around. There's a small bay there.

Mrs OBumble

Das Kitty wrote: »

First right after Galway crystal (oranmore bound) follow the road around under the railway bridge and take first right then first right again down a hill, take the left at the bottom of the hill and follow the road right around. There's a small bay there.

So that's the blue marker on this map?

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103787127198530927107.000473a53e80952bb0e9e&ll=53.268139,-8.981495&spn=0.013218,0.044074&t=h&z=15

Is there any beach at the red one?

I'm guessing the yellow is where the Terryland Stream (there's another thread about it) comes out, so not beachy.

Das Kitty

I can't see the markers in the map from my phone, but it's the upside down L shaped bit. I'll take a look at the others next time I'm on the desktop.

bonzodog2

I've just had a 3-1/2 hour walk including the bit from JustMary's yellow marker to the blue marker and then on to Ballyloughan beach. Tis hard going !

I couldn't find any evidence of the Terryland river outfall on this stretch, but maybe that's the time of year, or tide, or something else. I've been to the two places near Glenburren Pk where it disappears, and there didn't seem to be much flow there.

The bay at the blue marker is pure mud and seaweed, altho there are some nice big rocks too. Hardly a beach.

There does seem to be a stream outfall here
link to google map
which might be the Terryland exit, or not. Lots of recent stonework and steel bars there. You can just about see the shape of the stonework on maximum zoom on Google maps. Its about 100m east of a small pier.

topper75

The Terryland probably splits off underground into different streams. The stream flowing through Ballyloughan must be one of them and I would say the muddy area around the corner to the east (blue marker) is another one. There may even be more - there are clearly channels of inflow into the Oranmore bay visible in the aerial google maps that have no discernable 'land' sections. Who knows what happens in limestone.