Written by Roxanne Andrews.
A surf trip to County Sligo on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way will ignite the global coastal wanderer within. Fact: famous big wave breaks like Mullaghmore immediately conjure up a tunnel vision view of mutant slabs that require gonads the size of pint glasses. This colossal left is, quite frankly, frightening and unless you have big wave experience you’d be wise to leave it to the hardcore experts. Spectating however is welcome and from the panoramic perch on the headland, one can marvel at the throttling lines and formidable Irish kegs. Important: Bundoran (the main town near Mullaghmore) does have plenty of friendlier waves that won’t make you shit your pants.
The picturesque town of Strandhill is the ideal (you’re within one hour of over 20 world-class waves) base to explore most of Sligo’s breaks…which is exactly what I did. The main beach consistently reels in (say from 1-4ft) a mix of fun gliders and grinders – great for beginners and intermediate surfers alike. Strandhill’s northwest-facing positioning picks up any swell from southwest to north. Note: with a little local knowledge you’ll find plenty of places to surf around here.
Strandhill boasts a lively music scene (yes, fiddles and such) and traditional Irish pubs pouring out the black stuff aka Guinness. My pick for a pint, a whiskey and maybe a jig is the front bar at the Venue. It was here a bloke named Paddy (yes, really) directed me to some slightly spooky historic sites like neolithic monuments aka standing stones and portal tombs aka massive cairns. Suffice it to say omnipresent druid vibes are happening, particularly at Carromore’s megalithic cemetery just 10 minutes out of town. Anyway, back to Sligos’ surf trip offerings…
The main street in Strandhill is lined with quaint surf-friendly stays, excellent eateries hello, Shells Café & Bakery and big healthy feeds at Honestly Farm Kitchen. I can confidently say that the town has a genuine surf village feel. The locals are welcoming but on the same token, they don’t want their home exploited by a tonne of Airbnb’s and Instagram posers. So, show respect in the water and support Sligo’s small businesses. Easy!
In Strandhill, I made a new mate named Mel the owner of Rebelle Surf School. Fact: Mel is cool. The waves were unusually flat and she was intent on having me join her and longboard master, Kassia Meador (both women were hosting a surf retreat thing) on a hike up the imposing Knocknarea hill to explore Queen’s Maeves resting place (whether this is the grave of an ancient Irish war goddess is a mystery oft debated since the site has never been excavated). But I’m not one for walking jaunts and I could see the looming tomb through the distant mountain mist so instead I went to the pub before heading off to suss out Easkey, a year-round surfing destination and one of Ireland’s most famous surf towns. It’s a 45-minute drive from Strandhill and prone to pleasing offshore winds. It’s also home to two great reef breaks and hosted the 1979 Pro/Am Surfing World Championships. On arrival, I found it slightly disconcerting to see surfers getting changed in a carpark adjacent to a 15th-century castle but alas, here we are. And in retrospect it was at this moment that the allure of surfing the emerald isle made total sense. FYI – there’s another decent break by the river mouth at Easkey and I was comfortable asking local crew for advice on tides/swell predictions, etc.
Reminder, Sligo is the heart of Yeats country, so if you’re a literature fan as well as a committed surfer (I ain’t gonna lie, to a Queenslander like me, the water is freezing) then you’re in luck.
In summary, I’d recommend staying at least a week to make a surf trip to Sligo totally worth it.
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to go sharper” Y.B. Yeats
