Cliffs Of Insanity: A Winter On Ireland’s Big Waves

by Keith Duggan

Surfing in Ireland was once considered little more than a fringe and slightly lunatic pursuit. The treacherous coastline and ice waters of the Atlantic did not sit comfortably with the stereotype of surfing as the favoured pastime of the bronzed and privileged. But with the discovery in the past few years of the gargantuan Aileen’s wave at the Cliffs of Moher and other heavy waves, the Irish coast has become one of the worst kept secrets in world surfing.In Cliffs of Insanity , the Irish Times sportswriter Keith Duggan tells the story of a dedicated group of surfers in County Clare whose lives revolve around the pursuit of Ireland’s wildest waves. The book traces the evolution of Fergal Smith, the young Mayo man whose intuition for big waves has earned him a serious reputation and explores the world of Mickey Smith, the roving Cornish man who discovered Aileen’s and whose breathtaking surf photography has caught the Irish landscape in an entirely new and original light.Bitter cold days, broken bones, busted boards, scars, near drownings and countless hours in the freezing water trying to read the ocean is the price they pay for those few transcendent seconds when they master a wave.Cliffs of Insanity is about the importance of pursuing what matters in life but it is also about community and friendship, and the passionate pursuit of a way of life that flies in the face of everything championed in Ireland over the last decade.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2012

Reviews

[Timothy Neesam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disparate group of local lads risk life and limb to surf in winter along the coast of Ireland. Fergal Smith leaves to surf in other places, only to realize what draws him to locations like the Cliffs of Moher (it's the solitude). Mickey Smith is the most interesting person, documenting the surfers; he makes for an interesting entryway into the surfer's lives. It's a good read, rich in detail and atmosphere but feels long. The book did lead me to a video by Mickey, titled "The Dark Side of the Lens," that is worth checking out.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a series of anecdotes and interviews from Duggans time with a collection of big-wave surfers who base themselves in county Clare. I found this to be a fascinating insight into this niche community. Their quest for waves is so soaked in sacrifice and commitment that it makes for some excellent stories. Duggan provides all of this in a structure which kept me engaged throughout. I put down the book with a new appreciation for those tow-in surfers who grace the front pages every winter.

[Freckleville · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surfing is a male dominated sport. Big wave surfing/tow in surfing is even more so.
I read this but couldn't relate to it in any way. Seemed like a lot of testosterone back slapping going on, which I as a female surfer am not interested in. It's like a long drawn out piece in a magazine.
It documents a time & place with a group of people.