Mullaghmore Head Sligo
Mullaghmore Head is a dramatic Atlantic headland on the coast of County Sligo in northwest Ireland, a place where the coastline pushes boldly into the ocean and the full force of the North Atlantic is felt without moderation. The peninsula extends from the small harbour village of Mullaghmore, its cliffs and rocky shores battered by swells that have crossed thousands of kilometres of open ocean, and the combination of grand maritime scenery and the distinctive profile of Benbulben behind the coast creates one of the most visually compelling landscapes on the Wild Atlantic Way. The headland has become internationally known in the world of big-wave surfing. When winter Atlantic storms generate the right swell conditions, a underwater reef off Mullaghmore Head produces waves that can reach heights of fifteen metres or more, among the largest rideable waves in the North Atlantic. Professional big-wave surfers from Ireland and around the world gather here when conditions align, and watching the figures on their boards beneath these enormous green walls of water is a genuinely awe-inspiring spectacle. The headland and the small pier provide excellent vantage points. Beyond the surfing, Mullaghmore and its surroundings offer history and natural beauty in generous measure. The castle-like structure on the harbour is Classie Bawn Castle, built in the nineteenth century and later the summer home of Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was killed by an IRA bomb in the harbour in 1979, a tragedy that cast a long shadow over this otherwise peaceful community. The harbour itself is charming, with fishing boats, a small pier and good views back to the headland. The coastal walk around Mullaghmore Head, a circuit of about four kilometres, passes through dramatic clifftop scenery with views across to Donegal and back towards the Ben Bulben plateau. The flat-topped mountain, with its almost vertical cliff faces, is one of the most distinctive geological features in Ireland and dominates the landscape throughout the area. The surrounding countryside is Yeats country: William Butler Yeats spent much of his childhood and creative life in this corner of Sligo and is buried in Drumcliff churchyard beneath Ben Bulben. The beach at Mullaghmore itself is excellent and safe for swimming in calmer summer conditions, and the village provides several good seafood restaurants and accommodation options that make it a pleasant stopping point on a coastal tour of the northwest.