Mullaghmore Monster Surf by Alf Alderson

Last winter waves smashed into Ireland’s west coast which were so immense that TV and radio channels warned people to stay away from the beach. So it was only natural that a handful of surfers should do the complete opposite and head straight out to sea to meet it.

Gabe Davies, several times English surf champ, was one of the few surfer who dared venture out into the monster waves that day. “We actually debated whether or not to go out at all as it was so big, but we’d been waiting for a swell like this for seven years, so in the end the decision was obvious,” he told me.

“The biggest wave I caught was the biggest waves I’ve surfed anywhere – Hawaii, Europe, Indonesia, you name it. It was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time – the drop down the wave face seemed to last forever, and I reckon when I looked up the lip of the wave was maybe fifty feet above me”.

Expert ‘tow-in’ surfers like Gabe seek out gigantic waves like this all over the world. Naturally enough it all began in Hawaii, at the now famous big wave spot of ‘Jaws’; California then took up the gauntlet with ‘Mavericks’ and lately Ireland has muscled in on the big wave scene with the break you see here off Mullaghmore Head in County Sligo, and another crazy spot called ‘Aileens’ which breaks beneath and in front of the 700-ft high Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.

The dangers are obvious – the weight alone of 50-feet of water crashing down on you can cause serious injuries and may rupture your eardrums, and you can be driven so deep underwater that it’s too dark to be able to tell which way is up - and even if you can you may not be able to fight the swirls and boils of the water to get back to the surface anyway.

‘Hold downs’ can last so long that another wave may pass over you whilst still underwater, just adding to your problems, and when you do finally surface there’s every chance that several more walls of water will be bearing down on you.

And then there’s the fact that most of these big waves breaks are in front of cliffs and massive boulders, as with Mullaghmore. “The wave was breaking in front of an exposed rock shelf and the water was a lot shallower and more dangerous than I expected, so if you’d fallen off a big one in the wrong place you’d have been in serious trouble,” said Gabe afterwards. By “serious trouble” he means there was every chance of dying…

This is clearly, then, not a sport for the faint hearted, which is why I’ve never remotely considered it on my regular ‘surfaris’ to Ireland. But even without such giant waves Ireland is still a little touch of surf paradise. It has some of the best surf in Europe and is a place where an average surfer like me can almost guarantee finding the kind of waves that will challenge you without scaring the hell out of you (although you can easily do that too if you want).

Just north of the mighty waves of Mullaghmore is Bundoran, a well-established holiday resort favoured by visitors from Northern Ireland which has recently taken on the mantle of Ireland’s ‘Surf City’ thanks to its fine selection of surf breaks. It attracts surfers from all over the world, and has held world championship events, so there’s always a good surfie buzz on the streets and in the bars.

Bundoran Surf Co. and big wave charger Richie Fitzgerald’s Surf World, both on Main Street, offer surf hire and lessons at the long, golden arc of Tullan Strand or nearby Rossnowlagh, which are both excellent beginner/intermediate surf spots.

Or if you’re good enough, paddle out to ‘The Peak’, a superb, fast reef break right in front of the town, or explore further afield – there are legendary breaks such as Easkey to the south, whilst the wild Donegal coastline to the north has heaps of quality, uncrowded waves.

And and this being Ireland the craic is mighty. The Bridge Bar (one of the few pub websites featuring a local surf guide!) on the main strip is friendly, busy and has regular live music, or just up the road for something chilled and traditional try Brennan’s Bar, which may just serve the best Guinness in Ireland.

There are also a couple of clubs, Fusion and Jumping Jacks, although maybe take it easy on the booze (as if…this is Ireland after all) to keep your wits about you for the next day’s surfing. The thing is, whether you’re a total beginner or a big wave charger, Ireland’s west coast will always have something to test you to your very limits.