Where to stay
The Dunes Tavern Top Road, Strandhill
County Sligo
011-353-71-9168131
A refurbished pub and simple but clean lodgings on a town street overlooking Sligo Bay. Catering to the surf crowd. Rooms $45 per person (private), $25 (hostel).
The Atlantic Hotel
Main Street, Lahinch
County Clare
011-353-65-7081049
A three-star hotel catering more to golfers than surfers, but located only a short walk from Lahinch Beach. Room: $76 a person.
What to do
Perfect Day Surf Shop & School
Strandhill
011-353-87-2029399
Tom Hickey, a former coach of the Irish national surf team, runs a family business on this popular beach a short drive west of Sligo. Hickey has closed his shop pending the resolution of a tenant dispute, but continues to teach from his van beachside.
Lahinch Surf School
Beach hut, Lahinch
011-353-87-9609667
For footage of Lahinch Surf School owner John McCarthy and others surfing massive Aill na Serracht, beneath the Cliffs of Moher, visit dreamcatcherproductions.ie .
For more information on surfing in Ireland, including news of the national team's 19th-place finish at last month's World Surfing Games, in Huntington Beach, Calif., visit the Irish Surf Association at isasurf.ie.
Celtic Seaweed Baths On the Esplanade at Strandhill
011-353-71-9168686
A modern take on a coastal remedy, the salt water and seaweed baths at this well-run family spa are a quick way to recuperate from a day of surfing . An hour-long bath in a private room costs about $25. Book ahead in summer and on winter weekends.
