The death has occurred of Irish surfing pioneer and renewable energy businessman Brian Britton, as The Irish Times reports.

A member of the renowned Britton surfing family, Brian and his brothers Conor, Willie and Barry — father of Easkey Britton — built the foundation of Ireland’s surfing community in the 1960s from their family’s beachfront hotel in Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal.

A champion surfer in his own right, Brian was also a leader in the business world, most recently as managing director of Oriel Windfarm, which is developing Ireland’s first offshore wind energy project since Arklow Bank in 2001.

Read Brian Britton’s obituary in The Irish Times HERE.