From relative media obscurity for decades, to full-on media magnet today, Ireland’s reefs and slabs are drawing a lot of attention. It’s not un-deserved attention either, there really are some beautiful green (sometimes brown) waves curling over the reefs of the Emerald Isle.
There’s also a couple of big and ugly waves that require more than just having your wits about you – like Mullaghmore Heads, an insanely slabbing left that you can’t help but watch with mouth agape.
Mullaghmore Heads unloads – That’s a jetski on the shoulder in case you were wondering.
In the thick of all the action is a Saffa-born charger, Barry Mottershead, who opted to immigrate away from his familiar Weskus haunts a couple of years ago, not fully knowing what Ireland had to offer.
“I’m blessed and privileged to be part of this era in Ireland, and I don’t take it for granted. I know how lucky I am.” claimed a stoked Barry when we questioned him about the abundance of new discoveries being unveiled. “The reefs along the Irish coast are just perfect limestone slabs jutting out to sea. If you know where and when to go looking, then you can spend your day getting kegged.”
Local knowledge paying off for Barry on a clean swell.
Ireland’s huge tidal range (averaging 6 metres) ensures that you’ve got to put in the hours to catch the best waves firing. “Local knowledge plays a big part in scoring, as you can imagine.” Barry confirms, “But knowing which reef will be working helps, and we just run or drive from one slab to the other with the tide changes.”
With more spots being discovered all the time, and so many options, Barry reckons that now might be the time to slow down and just enjoy the fruits of their search. “We’ve found so many quality slabs that it’s time to stop looking and start surfing what we know is out there.”
Here’s Barry enjoying just some of these discoveries:
Apart from the head tilt we experienced while watching that clip (Barry explained that he is still working on his POV skills and just had his GoPro strapped to his wrist on the paddle-in waves), we were also intrigued as to what exactly he was drinking (and from what?) near the end, so we asked for an explanantion:
“(laughs) That crazy little cup? Everyone asks me bru! It came about because I’ve smashed loads of my girlfriend’s family’s cups out on the ski at Mully, so I sawed the top off a buddies’ water bottle one day before heading out and it just became ‘my cup’. It lives in the ski and gets used for everything from soup to tea. This winter I’ve been making ginger and lime teas, just chopping the roots and limes and throwing them in my thermos before I head out the door in the morning. I’m pretty sure that’s what I was drinking in the video.” explained Barry in detail.
Whether it’s soup or tea in Barry’s cup, it appears that it’s true what the say about the luck of the Irish when it comes to being blessed with quality slabs.
For more of Ireland’s perfect slabs and surf scene, check out Peter Clyne’s Vimeo channel here>>
Being a slab-hunter, Barry also made a trip to Tasmania’s infamous Shipstern’s Bluff. Watch him snag a couple of bottomless pits here>>
