Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach
Co. Galway, Galway County Council. Sea bathing water.
Icy.ie is a data aggregator, not a safety assessment.
Swim status: CAUTION
- The nearest temperature reading is more than 3 hours old.
- It is dark or close to dark here (sunset 18:40, first light 07:38).
- No lifeguard is listed for this beach.
Conditions can change. Check flags and signs, never swim alone, know how to Float to Live. Float to Live | Cold water checklist
EPA alert details
Short-term pollution risk. The EPA lists this water as prone to short-term pollution, for example after heavy rain. Wait at least 48 hours after heavy rain. Icy.ie does not check rainfall.
Before you go in
- Water qualityLast sample 7 September 2026, rated Excellent.
- Water temperature14.3°C at the nearest sensor (inshore buoy, 17 km away, read 17 hours ago). Cold water shock can occur below 15°C, and is strongest between 10°C and 15°C.
- LifeguardsNo lifeguard is listed for this beach.
- DaylightSunrise 08:13, sunset 18:40 today. It is dark or close to dark now.
- TideModelled as rising, high water about 23:30. Confirm with local tide tables.
- Waves and wind0.5 m waves (inshore buoy, 17 km away); 8 knot wind from ESE (103°) (inshore buoy, 17 km away). Conditions at the beach can be very different.
Read before you swim: cold water safety checklist, cold water shock and Float to Live, bathing water quality, tides and currents, jellyfish and stings.
Latest water quality sample
Excellent
Sampled 7 September 2026 (41 days ago)
- E. coli
- <10 per 100 ml
- Intestinal enterococci
- <2 per 100 ml
Routine monitoring runs from 22 May to 15 September. There is no routine testing in winter, so a sample can be months old. A sample shows one moment, and conditions can change quickly after rain.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. Sample date 7 September 2026. Source: EPA.
Tide at the beach
Rising
Modelled height now 0.2 m at 21:50
- Next high water
- 23:30, 0.4 m
- Next low water
- 05:20 tomorrow, -0.4 m
Next 24 hours
- High23:300.4 m
- Low05:20-0.4 m, tomorrow
- High12:000.6 m, tomorrow
- Low18:40-0.7 m, tomorrow
Times are Irish local time. These are modelled predictions at the nearest model point, 1.5 km from the beach. They are not a substitute for local tide tables, and do not include weather effects such as surge and wind. Heights are relative to the model's mean level, not chart datum. See tides and currents.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. Source: Marine Institute model.
Sea temperature
14.3°C
Cold. Cold water shock can occur below 15°C, and is strongest between 10°C and 15°C.
- Source
- Inshore buoy: Mace Head buoy, Galway Bay
- Distance
- 17 km from the beach
- Reading time
- 18 Oct, 05:00 (17 hours ago)
Old reading. This sensor has not reported for more than 3 hours.
Water near the shore, in shallow bays and in estuaries can be several degrees colder or warmer than a sensor offshore. More at Irish sea temperature today.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. Sensor reading 18 Oct, 05:00. Source: Marine Institute.
Waves and wind
- Wave height
- 0.5 m
- Wave source
- Inshore buoy, Mace Head buoy, Galway Bay, 17 km away, 18 Oct, 05:00 (17 hours ago)
- Wind speed
- 8 knots
- Wind direction
- From ESE (103°)
- Gusts
- 10 knots
- Air temperature
- 9.5°C
- Wind source
- Inshore buoy, Mace Head buoy, Galway Bay, 17 km away, 18 Oct, 05:00 (17 hours ago)
Offshore sensors differ from your beach. Waves and wind at a buoy far out can be stronger or weaker than at the shore, and a beach sheltered from one direction may be exposed to another.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. Wind reading 18 Oct, 05:00. Source: Marine Institute.
Daylight today
After sunset
- First light (civil twilight)
- 07:38
- Sunrise
- 08:13
- Sunset
- 18:40
- Last light (civil twilight)
- 19:15
Plan to be out of the water before sunset. Read dawn, dusk and night swimming safety.
Calculated by Icy.ie for this beach's position. Irish local time. No data feed is used.
Not checked by Icy.ie
These matter for your safety and are not in our data. Check them yourself before you go in.
- Beach flags. Obey lifeguard and red flags. Safety checklist
- Rip currents. Tides and currents
- Met Éireann warnings. Check current weather warnings and the marine forecast. Storms and swell
- Jellyfish and algal bloom. Marine hazards
- Storm overflow and sewage discharge. Bathing water quality
Facilities
- Blue Flag
- No
- Green Coast
- Yes
- Toilets
- No
- First aid
- No
- Lifebuoy
- YesPublic rescue equipment including 4 ring buoys are provided at regular intervals along the beach.
- Lifeguard
- No
- Parking
- No
- Dogs
- Not listed
- Accessible
- No
- Beach wheelchair
- No
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. EPA record last updated 5 March 2026.
Water quality class by year
| Year | Annual class |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Not classified |
Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach achieved and Excellent Water Quality rating in 2024 and 2023. Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach was newly 'identified' in 2021 as a beach for monitoring, management, assessment and reporting under the requirements of the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations. It was not possible to assign an annual water quality rating/classification in 2022 because the minimum number of required samples (at least 16) were not available to calculate the classification. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period (or for less years in certain circumstances) and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.
An annual class summarises four years of testing. It does not describe the water today.
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. EPA record last updated 5 March 2026.
About this water
Aillebrack/Silverhill is a beautiful sandy beach located on the Ballyconneely Peninsula in County Galway. The beach is located approximately 5 km west of the village of Ballyconneely and is accessed by a local road L1106. The area consists of several sandy strands and rocky headlands and its main aspect is to the south. The longest stretch of strand is approximately 340m. A golf course is located to the north and a caravan and camping site is located to the west. It has been awarded a Green Coast Award for many years in recognition of its excellent water quality and community involvement in the management of the area.
Profile for Aillebrack/Silverhill Beach for 2022
Icy.ie checked 18 Oct, 21:48. EPA record last updated 5 March 2026.
Where the data comes from
Bathing water details, classifications, samples and alerts: Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (EPA bathing water API).
Modelled tide, inshore and offshore buoy readings: Marine Institute (Ireland), published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence via ERDDAP. Readings are provisional and can be missing or delayed. Icy.ie refreshes this page about every 10 minutes.
Sunrise, sunset and twilight are calculated by Icy.ie from the beach position.