Lilliput (Lough Ennell)
About Lilliput (Lough Ennell)
Lilliput has the best name of any beach in Ireland — Jonathan Swift, a regular guest on this shore of Lough Ennell, borrowed it for the land of little people in Gulliver's Travels. It is a stony lakeshore bathing beach on calm, shallow water near Mullingar, lifeguarded in summer, with steps by the boathouse reaching deeper water. Its water quality is a genuine good-news story: rated Poor from 2018 to 2020, the lake was restored to Good through catchment work with local farmers, and it is now a monitored success. Swans and birdlife abound, Belvedere House sits across the lake, and the whole shore is a Ramsar-listed wetland.
Westmeath's three lake beaches
Westmeath holds three of Ireland's handful of designated inland bathing waters — The Cut, Lilliput and Portnashangan.
Get directions to the car park
This searches for the named car park on Google Maps — a place-name match, not yet a GPS-confirmed pin.
📍 Find Lilliput Adventure Centre, Lough Ennell on Google Maps
Named from official sources but not yet pin-verified — always confirm on arrival.
Activity suitability
- Surfing — No surf
- Walking — Short walk (under 1km)
- Lifeguard (summer) — Yes
- Not yet confirmed: Swimming
Facilities
- Toilets — Yes
- Car park — Free
- Lifeguard — Yes
- Not yet confirmed: Disabled access, Shower, Café nearby
Facilities confirmed from Westmeath County Council and Fáilte Ireland Source.
Water quality
EPA classification: Good (latest annual bathing-water assessment). Always check beaches.ie for the current rating.
Where to stay nearby
Search accommodation near Lilliput (Lough Ennell)
Verified local listings for Westmeath are coming as we build out our accommodation guide.