It's not on every surf trip that the cabbie from the airport loads your boards in the van, then describes how his father was gunned down in the street.
But Longbreak is touching down in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, where talk – and first-hand experience – of the IRA is never far from people’s lips and consciousness.
A political tour of the city is a must, and the Longbreak team leaves the boards strapped to the roof to take in the many, vivid murals around town depicting armed IRA gunmen, the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, and memorial gardens to those who died during the ‘Troubles’ – a sobering experience, and one that goes to the heart of a visit to the Emerald Isle.
Don’t panic, though. Despite a war-torn history, Ireland is home to some of the friendliest locals we’ve found anywhere; the pubs are full of good Guinness and welcoming traditional music; the scenery is simply magnificent, with a treasure trove of natural attractions; and the surf… well, the locals don’t like to let the secret out, but travellers have likened the country to ‘cold water Indo’.
It’s a tag that’s not too far from the mark, though as well as heavy rock and reef breaks, the Irish coastline is a wealth of sheltered bays and peeling points tailor-made for longboard leisure. |
The surf:
From Belfast, it’s a two hour drive west, leaving Northern Ireland and crossing into the southern part of the country, known as the Republic of Ireland. Here is County Donegal – the country’s main, but far from only, wave zone.
Found along County Donegal’s long, fractured and often lonely coastline is an abundance of reefs, beaches, bays and bountiful waves clustered around the boardriding epicentre of Bundoran. Many of the breaks are down farm lanes, muddy walkways and country roads without sign posts, waiting to be ‘discovered’ by the intrepid surfer.
Conditions are harsh in Ireland, and it’s not a destination for those that prefer surfing in board shorts. Summer is virtually flat. Autumn, from October to December, receives good swell but you’ll need a 4/3 steamer to make the most of it. Any later into winter, and visiting surfers will need to come armed with a 4/3 steamer plus booties, gloves and a hood to ward off the frigid water and winds.
Unfortunately for Longbreak, the ocean lay dormant for the first three days of the trip; then a howling low pressure system tore through the northern Atlantic for the second half of the week, forcing us to bunker down against the wind and rain.
But we didn’t leave without a taste of what this pristine coastline has to offer. Rolling into Bundoran on the return trip up the coast, the town’s main wave, The Peak, was firing off left hand barrels with abandon. Another point several kilometres out of town was doing the same. And the beach break, Tullen Strand, around the back of the headland, was reeling off like a scene out of Endless Summer. |
Getting around:
Surfers need to be mobile in Ireland; with hundreds of kilometres of coastline in County Donegal alone, and with ever changing winds, varying swells and frequent storm fronts, being able to hit the road to find sheltered bays and beaches is a must.
The rugged coastline and the vivid scenery seems tailor-made for campervan cruising, which is why Longbreak opted for a convoy of Bunk Campers (www.bunkcampers.com) vans. Built for comfort and complete with creature comforts like an oven for roast dinners and a hot shower to shake the chill after a surf, they are the ultimate way to hunt for waves.
Alternatively, if time is short or you fancy a real bed to bunk down in, TurfnSurf Lodge (www.turfnsurf.ie) in Bundoran is as good a base as any, with friendly staff, surf lessons and gear hire for those who need it, cosy rooms and – most importantly – a view of The Peak from the balcony.
Chances are, it’s firing right now.
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Getting there
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