Omey Strand (tidal island)

Co. Galway, Ireland

Water qualityNot monitored

Blue Flag 2026No

Green CoastNo

DogsTo be confirmed

Always verify the car-park location on arrival. Road and access conditions may change.

⚠ Safety first: Omey is a tidal island. The sand crossing from Claddaghduff is only passable for roughly 2–3 hours either side of low tide. Check the tide times (Met Éireann or a local tide table) before you set out, allow enough time to return, and if in any doubt park at Claddaghduff and walk. Cars and walkers do get cut off by the incoming tide.

About Omey Strand (tidal island)

Omey Strand is the great tidal crossing of Connemara — at low tide a firm sand causeway opens from Claddaghduff out to Omey Island, revealing a vast open strand. The tide, not the water, is the thing to respect here (see the warning above): plan the crossing around low tide and always allow enough time to get back. On the island there are no toilets and no services at all. Omey carries a long history — St Féichín's medieval church lay buried in the dunes for centuries before it was dug out, and every August the island's famous horse races are run across the sand at low tide. It is a wild, strange and beautiful place, but one that rewards careful timing above all else.

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 Omey Strand crossing, Claddaghduff on Google Maps

Named from official sources but not yet pin-verified — always confirm on arrival.

Activity suitability

Surfing — No surf
Lifeguard (summer) — No
Not yet confirmed: Swimming, Walking

Facilities

Toilets — No
Car park — Free
Lifeguard — No
Not yet confirmed: Disabled access, Shower, Café nearby

Facilities confirmed from Galway County/City Council and Fáilte Ireland.

Water quality

This is not an EPA-monitored bathing water, so no official water-quality rating is available. Take local conditions and signage into account and swim with care.

Where to stay nearby

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