Rossnowlagh is a popular holiday location, but its attractiveness has been spoilt by too many holiday homes and caravan parks. Some of these overlook the beach, but if you can ignore them then you will find this to be a lovely swimming spot.
Rossnowlagh is well known as a surfing location, so expect waves when you visit. Having said that if you are careful you can manage a swim, even if you don’t fancy riding the waves.
The beach is wide and impressive. It is a bit open, but there are some rocks for shelter. At one end children, and parents, will find rock pools to explore.
There is a large car park with a long timber ramp giving access to the beach. This is suitable for buggies, but doesn’t look ok for wheelchairs. However, there are a couple of slipways which look as if they give better access to wheelchair users. We were disappointed to see that people can drive their cars onto the beach, but hopefully this doesn’t happen in the summer.
Lifeguards are on duty during the summer months and there are also some picnic tables near the car park.
Rossnowlagh is located off the N15 between Donegal town and Ballyshannon. From Donegal town watch out for a right turn onto the R231 which will take you to Rossnowlagh
Rathmullan is a wide, and often windy, expanse of sand – a good place for a swim and a bracing walk. Located in Lough Swilly, the beach here starts just at the end of the town, near to the ferry which runs across the Lough to Buncrana.
The beach stretches for a few kilometres and gets more sheltered the further away from the town you go. Toward the far end you will find rocks for shelter. The water here is fresh, but often choppy.
The entrance to the beach near the town has a car park, a children’s playground and ramp access to the sand. And, of course, there is any amount of room on the beach for children to run and play .
We think there are lifeguards here during the summer, but check with Donegal County Council to make sure.
From Letterkenny you take the R247 which runs along the coast to Rathmullan. The main entrance to the beach is located at the end of the town. Just beyond the town, as you head for Portsalon, there is a smaller coast road from where you will find access to the more sheltered parts of the beach.
County Louth isn’t renowned for its swimming spots and Giles Quay is one of the better ones. This is an attractive harbour, located off the road to Carlingford and the Cooley mountains.
The beach here is a mixture of sand and stone, but it certainly doesn’t look its best when the tide is low. As well as swimming from the beach you will also see people swimming from the harbour. We couldn’t vouch for the cleanliness of the water in the harbour area.
There is a large car park beyond the harbour where you will also find very basic toilets. There is a rough ramp/slipway down to the beach which is manageable with a buggy but not for wheelchairs
From Dublin you take the M1 northbound and you leave it at exit 18, which is signposted for Carlingford and Cooley. From this exit you get onto the R173, signposted Carlingford. Travelling on this road watch for a right turn signposted for Giles Quay and numbered L7079.
We don’t know of too many swimming spots in Westmeath, so Lough Derravaragh is a decent enough place to get a dip.
This looks much more like a fishing and boating lake but for swimmers there is the advantage of a slipway from the large car park which will lead you into the water.
Apart from the car park we saw a solitary picnic table but there is a rough grassy area to sit on after you have had your swim.
In a county with no seashore, but any amount of lakes, Sheelin is one of Cavan’s attractive lakeside swimming spots.
This particular location is a small harbour type area, clearly designed for anglers and their small boats. While the lake itself might get choppy this area is fairly well protected, so you can swim in a bit of comfort. Along the small harbour wall there are a couple of places where there are steps which lead you into the soft lake water.
As well as a large car park there are a couple of picnic tables and a small grassy area to sit on after your dip.
From Virginia take the R194 toward Granard and Longford. After the town of Ballyjamesduff you will come to a T junction where you turn left onto the R154 toward Oldcastle. You travel on this road for a couple of kilometres where you will come to a right turn onto the L7079 and signposted for the lake.
