Temporary warning issued not to swim at north Dublin beach

Fingal County Council issues warning not to swim at Velvet Strand in Portmarnock for six days

Velvet Strand at Portmarnock is a popular bathing spot in North Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images
Velvet Strand at Portmarnock is a popular bathing spot in North Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images

A no-swim notice has been placed on one of north Dublin’s most popular beaches.

Fingal County Council issued a temporary warning not to swim at Velvet Strand in Portmarnock, Co Dublin for six days.

The temporary prohibition notice was issued by the council on Sunday due to a likely deterioration in water quality due to an electrical fault and power outage at the wastewater pumping station.

Power has been restored and a resample will be arranged. The prohibition notice will be reviewed when results are received, the council said.

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Velvet Strand remains open but beach users are asked to respect the ‘Do Not Swim’ notice as it has been put in place “to ensure that the health of bathers is not compromised,” it said.

The strand is made up of 5km of beach facing Ireland’s Eye island and the Howth peninsula and is a popular summer swimming destination.

Members of the public can check for water quality at any of the monitored bathing waters in Ireland in advance by accessing the EPA website at www.beaches.ie or by checking the notice board at the entrance to each beach.

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson is a reporter for The Irish Times