Irish super-slab Aileens wowed the global surfing scene a few seasons back when images of daring tow surfers and boogie boarders conquered its thick, stepped barrels thrown up by a submerged wedge of ancient Celtic limestone below the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. Brutal Atlantic storms and Hurricane tails lash this exposed stretch of coastline with powerful swells unfolding from deep water on to mega-shallow chunks of rock.

Story Brian McDowell and Finn Mullen
Phots David Oosthorn and Mark Alex