Watch this short film of Lahinch-native Ollie O’Flaherty, one of Ireland’s top young surfers. Its star is one of the main characters in a year long observational documentary currently filming in Clare called Between Land and Sea – A Year in the Town that Surf Built, directed by Ross Whitaker (Saviours, When Ali Came to Ireland, Unbreakable).
Taking to the wild Atlantic at any given opportunity, Ollie surfs almost any wave big and small and is quick to emphasise in this video that it’s not just about dropping into massive waves. In 2012 O’Flaherty came to international prominence when he was a finalist in the XXL Big Wave competition for surfing a giant wave at Mullaghmore. Surfing is a year around activity in Ireland and, says Ollie, Ireland must be one of the best places in the world to surf.
[quote title=”Ollie O’Flaherty”]Personally, I wouldn’t swap Ireland for anywhere.[/quote]
Between Land and Sea – A Year in the Town that Surf Built follows the fortunes of the surfers and surf schools of Lahinch, including Fergal Smith and John McCarthy. The footage featured above is just a glimpse at what we can expect on the big screen, and it looks spectacular.