Hero’s Welcome In Ballycotton For Eoghan Quinn Despite Lack Of Wind Foiling His Kitesurf Challenge

1st July 2019

Eoghan Quinn arriving in Ballycotton yesterday evening Credit: BallycottonIRE/Twitter

There was some disappointment for kitesurfer Eoghan Quinn as his attempt to ride the waves from France to Ireland yesterday (Sunday 30 June) ended prematurely when the wind dropped off Cornwall, just short of the halfway point.

But the 31-year-old, who has Type 1 diabetes and was taking on the challenge to raise funds for and awareness of Diabetes Ireland, arrived in Ballycotton on his support boat yesterday evening to a hero’s welcome.

“A lot of planning went into this but mother nature is the one thing we cannot control, but we achieved what we set out to do which was to raise awareness,” he told RTÉ News.

The route from France to Ireland through the Celtic Sea — dubbed the ‘Kitesurf Road’ — has never before been completed by kite and board.

Quinn had hoped to beat the Cherbourg-Rosslare ferry by crossing in under 16 hours.

Ballycotton welcomes @EoghanQuinn1 pic.twitter.com/lwoL2KWw9U
— Ballycotton (@BallycottonIRE) June 30, 2019

Published in Kitesurfing

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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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