Thursday, September 26, 2013

NO LUCK OF THE IRISH...


LAST YEAR JORDIE AND I HEADED OVER TO IRELAND. HE WANTED WAVES, I WANTED GUINNESS. DEAL. AFTER CATCHING THE FERRY ACROSS THE IRISH CHANNEL ME , JORDIE AND OUR RELIABLE VAYXHALL COMBO 'TERENCE', LANDED ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF IRELAND. WE IMMEDIATELY HEADED OVER TO THE WEST OCAST, TO LAHINCH, WHERE ELSE SHOULD WE START OUR JOURNEY BUT THE SURF CAPITOL OF IRELAND.AFTER A FEW DAYS SEARCHING, FOLLOWING RUMOURS AND HEARSAY FROM THE LOCALS ALL THAT WAS FOUND WAS A LOT DRIBBLY WAVES. WHERE WERE AL THE GIANT WAVES THTA WE HAD HEARD ABOUT BEFORE HEADING OVER? NOT DISHEARTENED BY THE LACK OF WAVES WE CONTINUED NORTH UP THE WEST COAST. 



WE LITERALLY SEARCHED EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY IRELAND HAD TO OFFER, IN AND OUT OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAYS WITH HIDDEN CAVES, DERELICT CASTLES AND VAST SAND DUNES, ALL WITH SO MUCH POTENTIAL IF ONLY THE WAVES WOULD PICK UP, DAMN YOU. AT LAST A WAVE! SMALL BUT SOMETHING AND JORDIE WAS IN HIS WETSUIT AND ON IT BEFORE I HAD EVEN GOTTEN OUT OF THE CAR. IN THE MOST PICTURESQUE OF SURFSPOTS JORDIE GOT HIS WAVE.


WE CARRIED ON UP NORTH CHECKING EVERY INLET  STOPPING AT SLIGO ANOTHER MAIN SURF AREA OF IRELAND BUT STILL NOTHING. WHAT WAS GOING ON? WE DIDNT HIT WAVES AGAIN UNTIL WE CROSSED OVER TO NORTHERN IRELAND AND THERE WE GOT AN EXPLANATION FROM ANOTHER LOCAL HE SAID OCCASIONALLY OVER SUMMER IRELAND GETS 2 WEEK FLAT SPELLS, THE ATLANTIC SITS AS STILL AS A MILLPOND AND THAT WE SHOULD COME BACK IN WINTER WHEN THE WAVES GET REALLY GOOD. NOWHE TELLS US.


THE GREAT SEARCH DID HAVE AN EXCELLENT UPSIDE. WE SAW MORE OF IRELAND THAN WE THOUGHT POSSIBLE. WE SAW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RUGGED SCENERY, THE MOST AWESOME TRADTIONAL MUSIC IN TEENYTINIEST OF LOCAL PUBS AND DRANK THE BEST GUINNESS (CIDER FOR JORDS). AND HAD SOME GREAT CRAIC.


PHOTOS COURTESY TIPHXXX

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