A weekend with Richie Fitzgerald

   You can join Richie this weekend for an exclusive surf lesson and relive the moment that he conquered the biggest swell (60ft+) ever attempted in Ireland with a screening of award winning documentary ‘Waveriders’, on one of the most famous surfing beaches in Ireland at Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa Clonakilty, West Cork on the last weekend in August.

   Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the award winning Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa invites surfers and adventure movie buffs to join them for a special weekend package combining ‘Surfing & Movies on the Beach’ on the weekend of the 31^st, August.

   The exclusive package includes two nights bed and breakfast in the four star  hotel, a private group surfing lesson on the scenic Inchydoney strand with Irish Surfing Champion, Richie Fitzgerald, a BBQ in the hotel before the screening of "Waveriders".

Guests will arrive on the afternoon of Friday 31^st, August and depart on Sunday, 1^st September. The package is available exclusively from the hotel and is priced at €199 per person sharing. For more information or to make a reservation please visit www.inchydoneyisland.com or call 023 8833143

Richie casually cruising on an average size day @ Mullaghmore

   Richie is one of the most humble surfers I have ever met. Richie owns and runs "Surfworld" in Bundoran and has just opened another shop in Strandhill, he also runs surf schools in Bundoran and on top of all that he charges big surf. If you ever ask him about any big waves he surfed he always plays it down but when you look at what he has accomplished it's pretty darn amazing. With tow partner Gabe Davies they were one of the first to pioneer big waves in Ireland. In particular the ferocious beast Mullaghmore, a wave that is known worldwide to break people.

  Richie and Gabe were part of the crew that surfed the massive 13m swell that ended up in the movie "Waveriders", a story that focuses on Irish surfing roots and some incredible footage of the biggest surf ever surfed in Ireland to this day! The movie got global applause winning 2008 Audience Choice Award from the "Jameson Dublin International Film Festival" and Best Documentary Award at the "2009 SURFER Poll & Video Awards".

  If I was in Ireland I'd be going to this myself, I think it's a fantastic weekend offer with alot of bonuses. Did you know that Richie fractured his ribs on one of the first waves ridden one session we had out at Mullaghmore, he went and sat on the boat for a while not saying much to anyone about the pain he was in. A couple of hrs later he couldn't bear it anymore watching these waves going past so he grabbed the rope again and pulled into this wave pictured above...respect.

Aaron

Cotty power

  I decided to do this blog not just after seeing this picture of Cotty at Mullaghmore but because he's a damn good surfer and deserves the publicity of what he's done over the years in big waves. He's been invited and attended big wave comps, not only in Ireland either, but in other parts of the world. Cotty's been nominated numerous times for Billabaong's XXL awards, in particular his latest nomination you have to admit is pretty impressive and soooo heavy. Cotty's paddled some pretty big stuff but doesn't gloat about it calling it the wave of the day just cause he paddled, he's also towed some pretty impressive waves but once again he never blows his own trumpet. Cotty just wants to enjoy himself with a few mates, simple.
  The very first big wave photo I ever took was of Cotty at Aileens on a less than perfect day and the last big wave photo I ever took in Ireland was yes again of Cotty but this time at Prowlers. That very first photo I was originally told it was of his tow partner big Al Mennie and after getting the print done I found out from Al that it was actually of Cotty, oh and it also got printed that way in the "Irish Times"! Never mind, lesson learnt to check your sources(Al's girlfriend at the time) hahaha.

My first ever big wave photo. "Cotty"

   Cotty never has backed down from a wave, tow or paddle. He just doesn't have it in his vocabulary to say no. Yes he's not just towed, doing a few stints to WA in Australia in his younger days paddling some pretty big stuff gave him great knowledge of the true power of the ocean on the hard hitting reefs. But it wasn't until he got to Hawaii and surfed Waimea where he found his true love for big waves earning the respect from the Hawaiians Cotty returned numerous times, and will return in the future.

Cotty @ Aileens getting chased down

Cotty on a bomb @ Aileens

   Cotty has adopted Ireland as his big wave haven. Spending countless sessions at Mullaghmore in the most harsh of conditions he still loves it and making the lengthy trip to Aileens numerous times. There was one session in particular where Cotty got nailed at Mullaghmore, his first wave of a dodgy day. Getting ripped apart by the wave, his expensive knee brace got torn off him and lost then the wave procedded to pull his leg almost out of joint leaving him in agony. I'll never forget the pain and dissapointment in his face and voice as he couldn't go back out due to his injurys. Seeing everyone else out there from the van on the hill would've been driving him nuts.

Cotty's face says it all...just after the leg ripping wipeout

Cotty @ Mullaghmore

I sent Cotty a txt asking him to answer a few questions about biggest waves he's towed and paddled and how big they were. I was curious to know what his answers were going to be size wise. Here is his humble reply...

"After last year I'd have to say Prowlers for both, surfed out there a few times now and i think it has so much potential for both tow and paddle. unfortunately this winter we didn't get to surf it once. I'm not one to put measurement on big waves, everyone judges differently and has different opinions on how big waves are, I've paddled some pretty big waves by my own personal standard and towed some even bigger ones, just hope it continues for years to come and both get bigger."

That day out at Prowlers was something else, with an 8m swell running we all sat over a mile out at sea watching her break. Blown away by how far it was throwing out, the barrell mad huge. Cotty and Al were originally thinking of paddling it until a outside set came through sending plumes of whitewater sky high and imploding out the back of the wave on itself! Cotty's reaction was hell give me the rope, lets see what this wave has. That's Cotty for ya, balls to the wall charger, tow or paddle he's out there giving it everything not backing down. Since that day out at prowlers he's padlled out there a few times bagging himself some great waves.

Here's some of his waves at Prowlers...

Cotty @ Prowlers

Cotty exiting the barrell on his first ever session out there!

Cotty and tow partner Al Mennie...yes that is a paddle board and they were seriously thinking of paddling

A proud moment for Cotty and I, my first surfing mag cover and my last big wave photo in Ireland

Filth, pure filth

 Sorry Roo but I knocked your photo, sweet shot.

 Clik here to see more of Roo's work

This is what's been going down the last few days, unfortunately i'm not there but thank the webster for youtube and facebook to keep me sorta sane, will add clips as more comes in the coming days. Some pretty amazing surfing went down at the 1st towin comp in Ireland organised by Paul O'Kane in junction with The Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club and sponsored by Billabong and Monster energy at Mullaghmore. Paul did an amazing job putting a lot of this together, if it wasn't for Paul this would not have happened this year so a big thank you to him. Even though I wasn't there on behalf of everyone I would like to thank the RNLI from Bundoran and Sligo, The Irish Tow Rescue Club, Billabong, Monster Energy, which ever council gave the ok which I think might've been Sligo to run the comp and The Pier Head hotel at Mullaghmore. It sounded like an epic day. Apararently there was hundreds of people watching the comp, great turn out and support for the extreme sports people. Bring on next year...
Results:
1st. Eric Rebiere/Benjamin Sanchis
2nd. Peter Conroy/Glynn ...
3rd. Andrew Cotton/Al Mennie
4th. Gabe Davies/Richie Fitzgerald
Gabe also got best Barrel, it's in the clip below at around 28sec in, Richie also got most gnarliest wipeout

Roo has an awesome photo in the Irish Times, just clik here to view it

This the latest clip is pretty wicked, it's good to see a few camera people putting there heads together to do a pretty cool clip and using there imagination. Keep an eye out for a documentary maybe later this year by these talented videographers. 4 different angles. The water angle is sooo close to the action that it makes me fell like a scardy cat not being closer myself in the sessions before. Big congrats to Peter Martin, Peter Clyne, Dave Mottershead and Daniela Gross. Well dones guys, cool bananas

Mullaghmore Head "Tow in Surf Session" from Mully Productins on Vimeo.

The latest and best footage so far, 3min 10sec in...


The following clip insane barrel at 28sec

This next clip at 2.08 in, what a barrel


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Also more from around Ireland

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more to come...

2 waves, 1 county...

Been living on the East coast for most of the year I didn't get much of a chance to catch the swells. But what swells I did get were pretty damn impressive. So here's 2 of the best swells of the season I caught up with at 2 totally different breaks in 1 county. Happy new years to ya all and hope 2011 treats everyone with good fortune and great waves. Some parting advice, I could rattle off over a dozen breaks virtually unsurfed in Ireland, quality breaks so go search, walk over that hill where beyond could be your dreams come true, it won't kill you...


The Mighty Mullaghmore



Dave before he got barrelled of his nut

Mikee loving it, his favourite big wave



Neil eyeing the beast up




Pete getting the ride of his life




Rick cruzzing it




Prowlers perfection




Paul just chilling out




Richie look behind ya mate...cool & calm




Barry about to get engulfed but makes it




Jeremy's 1st wave in Ireland...ever!!




Al charging it




Cotty going for gold



My time in Ireland

Here's a few shots of my life in Ireland, that to me are important and others life changing. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
cheers and fairwell
Aaron

Zoolander party in Strandhill

Halloween party in Strandhill

Mum & Dad visit

My very first surf photo with a digital camera

Just good mates

The bro visits and my photo in the best bar in the world...The Strand of course

The big swell, that whitewater is at least 200ft high!!

My first ever Tow photo, Cotty the man at Aileens...the passion starts

The legends of Strandhill

"PROWLERS"

My first outing in a boat to shoot, Tom DH at Aileens

Rileys

The Surfer's Path does an article on me, such an honour, cheers Alex

Rolling Stones

Up close & personal at U2

Paul O'Kane, first time Prowlers surfed in early 2009

Mikee Hamilton charging big Mullaghmore

My fairwell party, Strand bar

Prowlers pumping top to bottom

Cotty at Prowlers

My first surfing magazine cover, cheers Cotty