BEACH BOY A native of Clogher, Westport, Fergal Smith’s (pictured) passion for surfing has taken him all over the world. Having taken the plunge on Achill Island and Louisburgh many years ago, he’s since been to the Galapagos Islands off South America, as well as Ecuador, Tobago, California, Indonesia and Australia. One of the most exciting young talents in the sport, he won the Irish national championship in 2006 and the Rookie of the Year award during his first year competing on the British professional surfing circuit. Not bad for a guy who only completed finished his secondary education two years ago.
On the crest of a wave
With the Atlantic Ocean caressing the entire coast, Mayo has the perfect offshore playground, asserts Neill O’Neill
Sailing/BoatingSpanning hundreds of years, the history of sailing on Clew Bay can be traced back at least to the times of Grace O’Malley, the legendary pirate queen, who ruled the waves of the west in the mid-1500s.
Today, there is less plunder and more pleasure about the boating activities on Clew Bay, as the sails from the flotilla of boats attached to the Mayo Sailing Club in Rosmoney swarm into the bay during their weekly sailing regattas every Thursday evening in summer. The friendly locals who own and race these boats are always open to taking a novice or accomplished sailor on board to help, and to get involved in these or other events at Mayo Sailing Club it is best to just show up and register your interest on the pier, six kilometres outside Westport, any Thursday. You will also be able to obtain information about other regattas and events organised by the club. Rosmoney is also the point from where the short boat trip to the internationally-famous Glenans Sailing School departs. Located on Cullenmore, their own island, Glenans offer sailing courses which cater for all standards, levels and boat types.
A more traditional type of sailing takes place in Achill every weekend in July and August, when participants in the Cruinniú BΡdóirí Acla sail their locally-built yawl boats. This unique sport is based on age-old methods of boat-building and sailing, and anyone interested in observing the club’s activities should be on the pier at Achill Sound at high tide on any weekend in summer. Bringing your own life jacket might even get you recruited to help crew a boat!
Surfing, windsurfing, kayakingSurfing has grown in popularity in Ireland in recent years, and with the Atlantic Ocean roaring ashore with full fury wherever land ends in Mayo, the sight of surfboards carving up waves has become much more common in the county.
The main centres for surfing enthusiasts are in Louisburgh and Achill, with expert tuition for individuals or groups and equipment hire available at Carrowniskey Beach outside Louisburgh, and on Keel Strand in Achill. People can also be seen sea-kayaking, kite-surfing, windsurfing and having a go at the latest craze – stand-up paddling – around Louisburgh and Achill, though the beaches around north Mayo also regularly play host to such high-adrenaline activities. Camping is available in the vicinity of many of these beaches.
The three-kilometre beach at Keel is also particularly popular with windsurfers, though for a safer windsurfing experience the shallow nearby lake is the ideal place to grow accustomed to this activity. Keel Lake is easily accessible for cars, allowing windsurfers, canoeists and kayakers to transport their equipment right up to the water. Sea-kayaking and windsurfing equipment hire and tuition are available locally in Achill.
In the heart of the Belmullet gaeltacht, the Uisce Advenure Centre also offers expert tuition and equipment for a complete range of water-based activities, though booking well in advance here is advisable. On the Galway border, the Delphi Adventure Company’s water-based activities include surfing, Canadian canoeing, kayaking, lifeguard training and raft-building. Nestled in the Delphi Valley, this world-renowned centre enjoys some of the most unspoilt scenery in Ireland, with the majestic Mweelrea mountain – the tallest in Connacht – as a backdrop.
Swimming
If you fancy swapping the warm indoor environment of one of Mayo’s many world-class leisure centres for the rejuvenating foams of unhindered Atlantic waters, then Mayo is a county where you will find plenty of options.
With 13 Blue Flag beaches, amongst many others, and countless miles of coastline, the clean and safe waters around Mayo are irresistible to many and the beaches are recognised as being among the most outstanding in Europe.
Mayo also has an excellent record for the safety of its bathing areas, while its summer lifeguard service ranks among the best in Ireland.
Cruising
Mayo has a spectacular coastline and straddles some truly beautiful inland waterways. Beginning in the postcard-perfect village of Leenane just across the Galway border, a 90-minute catamaran trip to the mouth of the Killary Fjord – Ireland’s only fjord – will delight the senses, as you cruise through this unforgettable drowned glacial valley towards the ocean.
In south Mayo, there is no better way to appreciate the lake district of Ireland than on board the luxurious Lady Ardilaun, which cruises along the waters of the Corrib River and lake.
Passengers can stop off along the way to join a guided tour of the historical ruins on beautiful Inchagoill Island.
On Achill Island, the Lady Slievemore, with a variety of tailor-made trips, is the fastest way to see the sights of Clew Bay, while a new double-deck sightseeing ferry based in Westport will be operating various specialist trips around Clew Bay in 2008 – including one to the island of Dorinish once owned by legendary Beatles songwriter, John Lennon.
DivingIf your love for water extends below the surface, there are two dive schools in Mayo – one on Clare Island and one on Achill Island – where you can gain access to a whole new world.
‘Islands West’ on Clare Island also caters for sea angling, island-hopping trips and general boat charter, but they specialise in scuba diving and run courses on discovering scuba diving, open water diving, advanced open water diving, medic first aid, rescue diving, boat diving, multilevel diving, dry suit diving, navigation diving, night diving, search and recovery diving and deep diving.
Located five kilometers from the mainland, John McCabe and his crew at ‘Islands West’ guarantee the best of scenery, both above and below the water, and also promise that you will leave all your stresses behind.
The first deep-sea diver in Ireland, Jimmy O’Gorman, arrived in Achill in 1939 to help salvage the wreck of the Aghia Eirini, a 4,330-tonne steamer which foundered on the western shore of the island that year. His work aroused deep interest locally and so began an association with the depths of the sea around Achill, which is continued to this day by the Achill Dive Centre.
The centre offers a broad range of PADI certified courses, taught by highly-experienced tutors, that are sure to suit everyone from beginners right through to experienced divers.
With dramatic cliffs, perfect beaches and virgin waters, scuba diving around Achill provides the opportunity to spot an abundance of sea life in an unspoilt environment, with dives to all the island’s main wreck sites organised by the centre.
Outdoor ActivityOutdoor Education Centresachilloutdoor.com •
achilladventures.comdelphiadventureholidays.ie •
uisce.comSurfing achill-surf.com •
members.achilltourism.com/tomasmaclochlainn •
surfmayo.comWindsurfing windwise.ieSailing mayosailingclub.com •
achillyawl.com •
gisc.ieDiving achilldivecentre.com •
islandswest.ieCruiseskillarycruises.com •
corribcruises.comwww.destinationwestport.com/activities
A guide to water-based activities in Mayo, including sailing, cruising, swimming, diving, surfing, kayaking an windsurfing
