Prowlers Could Boost Tourism in West

13th November 2010

The 50ft monster waves that arose off Ireland's west coast last week could provide a significant boost to tourism in the region.

Ethna Murphy of Fáilte Ireland told The Irish Times that images and news reports of the Prowlers waves has given them "priceless publicity" ahead of next autumn's European Surfing Championships in Bundoran.

"Those photographs will be in every surfing magazine in the world that matters and that is how we attract visitors to Ireland," added Killian O'Kelly of Bundoran's TurfnSurf Lodge surf school.

Last week's Fáilte Ireland conference on adventure tourism in Killarney was told that the market is worth over €1 billion annually, attracting over a million visitors to Ireland each year.

Prowlers has enhanced Ireland's already growing reputation as one of the top cold-water surfing spots in the world.

But the location of the giant waves as yet remains a secret known only to a handful of intrepid surfers.

Published in Surfing

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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