Murder Hole Beach

Melmore, County Donegal, Ireland, Ireland

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Murder Hole Beach, officially known as Boyeeghter Strand (or Boyeeghter Bay), is a secluded, dramatic beach on the Melmore Head Peninsula near Downings in County Donegal, Ireland, widely considered one of the most unique and beautiful beaches in the country. It’s surrounded by huge cliffs, rolling hills, sand dunes and small hidden caves, with a small tidal island called Rough Island just 15 meters offshore that splits the beach into two sections at high tide but merges them into one long stretch when the tide goes out. The beach’s striking name is rumored to have originated in the 1800s when a young woman either fell or was pushed off nearby cliffs, while other accounts suggest the name reflects the dangerous currents that make swimming perilous and unsafe here. The area is undeveloped with no direct road access, and access was historically via private land until local landowners created a car park and pathway by 2022, though significant traffic issues have been reported during peak summer months. The name “Boyeeghter Strand” comes from the Irish Trá Bhá Íochtair, meaning “strand of the lower (or northern) bay,” and visitors are drawn to the beach for its raw beauty, isolation and coastal scenery rather than swimming.