Easkey

A beautiful castle (tower) dating back to 1207 on a rocky coast. Popular surfing spot. Worth stopping to get a picture or two next to crashing waves.

Driving through miles and miles of verdant farmland criss-​crossed with hand-​set rock walls, villages and sheep, a tower comes into view. Totally isolated and perching over the rocky shores like a great, dark, bird of prey, I’m reminded of how violent these coasts were at one time instead of the fun-​packed surf-​spot-​with-​a-​view they are today. Born and raised in California, to sit on a surfboard out beyond the reef and see this ancient castle dominating Hobbit-​land was fucking unreal. Instead of rocks, houses, trees or piers to mark where I needed to paddle to catch waves, I was gauging my location with a castle! That’s just about as cool as it gets. Oh and yeah, the water is effing cold but it burns off quickly enough as you paddle against the currents and a pub, as always, is never too far away.
I believe this castle is called «O’Dowd Castle».
I mentioned in my Sandhouse review that I’d met Barry Britton, Ireland’s artist and surfer and he named one of his daughters after it so it’s a precious place in more ways than one. Easkey is also Ireland’s #1 female surfer. Her roots began right here.
As with any surf spot anywhere, you won’t have any problems if you put on your happy face, respect the pecking-​order and charge it. Remember, you’re on their turf and in their surf. And they have the leprechauns on their side with all that magic faerie dust to blow in your face.
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