Conor Maguire, Barry Mottershead and Finn Mullen

Late Drop - The Big Wave Podcast: Jamie Mitchell Interviews Ireland’s Keen Tow Team

 Conor Maguire surfs, Barry Mottershead drives, Finn Mullen keeps everyone safe.

 In this latest episode of Late Drop, Jamie Mitchell shines a light on exactly how much hard work, intense preparation, adamantine teamwork, local communication and mental toughness goes into tackling an XXL swell at Mullaghmore — and that’s before you even hit the water — by interviewing the tow team heard around the world: Conor Maguire (surfer), Barry Mottershead (driver) and Finn Mullen (water safety). 

 As detailed in this week’s Breaking News story, with a massive North Atlantic swell in the water this week, Ireland’s premier big-wave slab detonated in historic fashion. In fact, young Irish surfer Conor Maguire charged what was obviously the bomb of the swell — if not the biggest bomb ever ridden out there.

 “Finn Mullen, who’s an absolute local legend here, came onboard as chief of safety for this session and did an incredible job,” Conor told Surfline. “He got in touch with the coastguard, the RNLI. He’s clued in and doesn’t want to take any risks. We were in safe hands, and then we contacted Sligo County Council and got permission to surf. We had four skis, a paramedic on hand, and two spotters on the cliff. We couldn’t have been safer.”

 

“The original idea was just to have respect for the locals and not to offend anyone,” Conor adds. “The headland was like an amphitheater – everyone was in their cars, adhering to COVID protocols, as were we. In the harbor with the safety briefing, we had masks on and all that stuff. It was pretty professional. And Barry Mottershead, he killed it driving. Poor guy, he was under so much stress. He had to take a breather afterwards in the channel. Everyone was chatting and he was, like, laid down on the ski about a mile out to sea, just staring into the sky [laughs].”

 

 

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