Red Strand Beach (Dirk Bay)

The sandy beach of Red Strand sits in the horseshoe-shaped Dirk Bay, protected to the west by Galley Head. With its soft golden-white sand, clear waters and views to the lighthouse this is a pleasant spot for a family beach day.

Largely unspoilt, Red Strand doesn’t have much in the way of facilities, so take what you need for your visit. There are public toilets though.

During the summer this is a popular spot for swimming and is generally pretty safe. You can surf at Red Strand but it tends to be much more sheltered than Long Strand, just around the coast.

The Gaelic name for the beach is An Tráigh Dhearg, which pretty much translates to red beach. There are a couple of theories about how this name came about. The first is down to an abundance of red sandstone rocks on the beach; the other relates to a battle that reputedly happened here in Norman times which left the sand red with the blood of the defeated army.