Australia beware!
And maybe this whole “surfing-getting-into-the-Olympics” thing isn’t a joke. Maybe it is the single thing that will save the surf industry, provide hundreds of thousands of jobs in cities around the globe, carry the World Surf League to its long sought status as bigger than the National Football Association and allow the 1989 World Champion Martin Potter to retire swathed in fine linens.
Because who would have ever guessed, who could have ever guessed, that Ireland, a country previously most famous for Stephen in Braveheart is building a “National Centre of Excellence for Surfing?”
Not I, that’s for certain, and what is a “National Centre of Excellence for Surfing?” Let’s learn!
A NEW NATIONAL surf centre is set to be developed in Sligo, the Government has announced.
The centre, which will be located on Strandhill promenade, will act as a modern fit-for-purpose facility for locals and tourists eager to catch some waves along the west coast.
It will comprise of a facility that will serve as a National Centre of Excellence for surfing in Ireland, and will be a key focal point in for activities on the Wild Atlantic Way.
An interpretative element telling the history of surfing in Strandhill and Sligo will also feature at the centre, where there will also be an information hub and visitor focal point for the area.
So it’s not a new wave tank is what I’m picking up here but more like a museum fronting a strip of North Atlantic beach where folk can paddle out and save the surf industry. Am I reading it right? Also, I am very intrigued by the interpretive element telling the history of surfing in Stranhill and Sligo. Are there dances and things in the interpretive element? Free form jazz?
All I know, in the end, is Australia better damn well build its own National Centre of Excellence for Surfing if the continent hopes to keep Mick Fanning part of the team. Isn’t he Irish?
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I sense the presence of Wayne Murphy here…
No presence on this story Harry, only until now when a Sligo friend here in Ireland on social media alerted me to your comment. FYI, we are fast evolving into a more secular country with little need for priests and confessions etc, though there will always be a need to congregate, gain worldly wisdom and share stories, hence the good old local pub. But as for government funded surf centers at places like Strandhill where salty folk gather? Yes please, more of it. And well done to all those in the Yeats county who made it happen. It really is a thriving little surf scene there from which more good things will come. Cheers.
Don’t forget Ireland’s most famous surfing perstonality!!!
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Ya could’ve had Jack Kennedy on that title shot, not fuckin Ben, I’ve got cum on my ear and it’s funny, Stiller.
Who’s about as Irish as yoko ono
Nice work Chuck.
Strandhill is a nice spot to be fair! Yeah we will claim Fanning, I’m sure Reynolds, the Currens, the Carroll’s, all have some Irish blood, if it was soccer Jack Charlton would have had them representing the motherland! Slater and the Malloys too – and Dorian, and Sunny Garcia is apparently half Irish! Time we started to produce a few more homegrown talent – keep an eye out on Gearoid McDaid! Oh I nearly forgot about Derek Reilly!
Give yerselves a rap paddy!
Most of ya are from Spain and even a bit Moorish if sineads got a say.
Mick’s a dirty Scot if anything and bobby slater wouldnt understand a word you were saying.
Ya can have the others
We will take them, we will swap Sinead for free!
Fuck yes
Give us Sinead and we can have Waco down under at the Suffolk park caravan park and Mikey won’t freeze his charmed nuts off.
Hi jimmy Just wanted to add the SoCal McNulty Bros who surfed for Ireland in an ISA big wave event in the late 90s and also Umina’s Leprechaun Micro Hall . Saw your man McDaid surf in a QS , a strong surfer with good style .
O’Leary, Carissa Moore, Pat O’Connell, George Freeth, ah the list is endless, but alas all we ever had was Micro propping up the tricolor and singing the national anthem in Irish on the top of the podium!
There’s a lovely song by Paul Kelly “ From little things big things grow “ so who knows what the future holds ? Connor’s grandfather is Irish but unfortunately he has had no luck of the Irish this year .
As the famous Irishman John Lennon said – if you had the luck of the Irish, you’d wish you had the luck of the English instead!
Funny how they always kill the intelligent kind ones and let evil buggers live ?
Fuck he’s good that Jack lennon
Shame that seppo cunt murdered him.
He’d probably be singing the WSL theme song every contest just before that other mind crushing seppo Joe, fucken , everything’s so cool, Turpell ,,starts turning my brain into something resembling spam.
You’re not claiming Malia.
Tha Philippines have allready locked her down for the miss universe comp and maybe the Olympics , as long as it’s not in some shit wave tank , cause fuck, Malia is a goddess. It would need to be filled with the tears of a thousand angels before I let her even sniff it.
Did you hear the all powerful Negs reckons TRACKS in 93 was shit?
Can someone block him forever??
Ya gotta admit for the Paul Keating surf team at the time , it was at least useful as arse crack cleaner
What do ya reckon?
Jed, Vaughan, fucking lettuce.
Actually I don’t care what lettuce thinks
No, I said you’re starting to sound like a letter to the editor from Tracks circa 93.
Mmm I don’t think so
I’m gonna fact check that and don’t edit it!
So often you hear “my grandmother’s Irish”, “I’m 1/4 Irish”, “I’m half Irish, half Urak-hai” (alright, maybe not so much the last one)…mass emmigration along with that charming accent is a sure way to get a nation’s seed around the globe.
I dunno if Mick’s been to confession lately but if he has, there’s a priest somewhere l, ocked in a small room , sobbing.
A deserving entry in the Guinness book of record this shit before we forget what the hell we were thinking.
Sinead oconnor has posted on Twitter that if MikeyWright comes to Ireland she’s gonna float a whole Irish Waco scene to him and hopefully have him as the Koresh character and leader of the religion she always wanted
I can see her draped in Hot Tuna Robes shouting at 5am every morning to the chosen one
COVER YOUR MULLET ……….
Cover your mullet my precious one and fur fooks sek ,put yurr cute little booties on or you’ll catch the death of cold
Nothing compares to you Mikey. 🇮🇪
You’re too good today bex videos, the weather change got ya?
Yes I’m all dusty and hot.
I just want them brazzos to pound the soft round eyes and other assorted weak gened fools.
You know it’s a fact they have the largest equipment right?
Guinness definitely tastes better there in the cold and the rain and the sleet etc but I am convinced it makes one constipated and was forced to leave the car from which we were judging in Bundoran during a training camp in 98 due to the most evil flatulence from Hell .
I thought Whiskey was invented so the Irish wouldn’t rule the world of surfing.