IrishBeaches.ie
Monitored bathing water Lakeshore

Portnashangan (Lough Owel)

Co. Westmeath, Ireland
Water qualityExcellent EPA
Blue Flag 2026No
Green CoastNo
DogsTo be confirmed
Always verify the car-park location on arrival. Road and access conditions may change.

About Portnashangan (Lough Owel)

Portnashangan is the bathing place on deep, spring-fed Lough Owel, just north of Mullingar off the N4, lifeguarded through the summer. It is famous locally for its diving board — but this is deep, clear water, and the diving-board culture is for competent swimmers, so mind the season and the depth. Lough Owel supplies Mullingar's water and is prized for its clarity and its trout. Portnashangan is one of only a handful of designated inland bathing waters in Ireland, and Westmeath is unusual in holding three of them. Come for a proper cold-water swim in one of the cleanest lakes in the midlands.

Westmeath's three lake beaches

Westmeath holds three of Ireland's handful of designated inland bathing waters — The Cut, Lilliput and Portnashangan.

The Cut (Lough Lene) · Lilliput (Lough Ennell)

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 Portnashangan bathing area, Lough Owel 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

  • Car park — Free
  • Lifeguard — Yes
  • Not yet confirmed: Toilets, Disabled access, Shower, Café nearby

Facilities confirmed from Westmeath County Council and Fáilte Ireland Source.

Water quality

Water quality information is sourced from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ireland and is updated annually. During the bathing season real-time water quality updates are available at beaches.ie. Always check beaches.ie and local signage at the beach before swimming, particularly after heavy rainfall. IrishBeaches.ie accepts no liability for water quality conditions at the time of your visit.

EPA classification: Excellent (latest annual bathing-water assessment). Always check beaches.ie for the current rating.

Where to stay nearby

Search accommodation near Portnashangan (Lough Owel)

Verified local listings for Westmeath are coming as we build out our accommodation guide.