Tyrella Beach Welcomes New Visitor Facility

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is delighted to announce the official opening of a new, purpose-built visitor amenity building at Tyrella Beach – marking a major milestone in enhancing visitor experiences, promoting accessibility, and protecting the area’s unique natural environment.

Located within Tyrella Beach car park, the modern facility offers male and female toilets, an accessible WC and storage space. As part of the works, the old beach building was removed, helping to restore valuable sand dune habitat and support Tyrella’s designation as an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI).  Appointed contractors, Bell Contracts, worked in partnership with the Integrated Design Team led by Gleeds Belfast including Design ID (Structural Engineers) & Beattie Flannigan (Building Services Engineers)

This project is part of a wider conservation effort at Tyrella. Alongside the upgraded facilities, the Council has introduced a conservation grazing programme following a DAERA ecological assessment, which identified excessive vegetation and litter as threats to biodiversity. Rare Irish cattle breeds are now grazing the dunes in winter at low densities—an environmentally sensitive approach that supports plant diversity, reduces fire risk, and protects native wildlife such as the Common Lizard.

These improvements help maintain Tyrella Beach’s prestigious Blue Flag status while laying the groundwork for an exciting future development—an Inclusive Beach, opening in 2026. Delivered in partnership with the Mae Murray Foundation, this initiative will introduce a Changing Places facility and a range of accessible beach equipment so people of all ages and abilities can enjoy the beach together. The specialist equipment will be available to users through the Foundation’s free loan scheme, which already supports an inclusive beach at Cranfield.

The beach equipment at Tyrella and additional equipment at Cranfield was provided with the support of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). UK Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris, said, “I’m delighted that Tyrella Beach is opening its new visitor building as part of vital improvements to accessibility, helping ensure the whole community can enjoy the beach and boosting the local economy and tourism sector.

“Funding projects like this is part of the government’s commitment to support local councils in Northern Ireland to create thriving communities and deliver economic growth across the UK as promised in our Plan for Change.”

Following the success of Cranfield since 2019, the Inclusive Beach at Tyrella will be the second of Newry, Mourne and Down’s beaches to become fully accessible. These beaches feature pathways, parking, Changing Places toilets with hoists and adult-sized changing benches and specialist beach equipment. The Mae Murray Foundation also hosts inclusive activities such as beach fun days, surf sessions, and litter-picking events.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Phillip Campbell said, “Tyrella Beach is one of our district’s greatest natural assets, and these new facilities are a major investment in making it even more welcoming for everyone. Through our partnership with the Mae Murray Foundation and UKSPF funding, we are proud to confirm Tyrella will become our second inclusive beach in 2026, alongside additional access equipment at Cranfield.

“These projects support our Tourism Strategy and reflect our commitment to health, wellbeing, and sustainable tourism, ensuring our coastline remains a place of beauty, recreation and inclusion for generations to come.”

With two kilometres of golden sands and 25 hectares of mature dunes, Tyrella Beach remains one of the district’s premier visitor destinations. Holding Blue Flag and Seaside Awards since 1997, it is recognised for excellence in cleanliness, safety, water quality, and environmental management—while preserving its rich biodiversity for future generations.

For more information about Tyrella Beach, visit: www.visitmournemountains.co.uk