As part of our ‘Waters and the Wild’ webinar series, Clean Coasts speaks to Irish champion surfers Stephen Kilfeather and John McCarthy together with past Irish Surf Team coach Marcos Dias, and recent giant wave surfer Conor Maguire. Stephen has won multiple Irish national Surf championships and competed at the World Championships in Costa Rica in 2009, on the Irish team which Marcos Dias coached. John has competed nationally and internationally, winning a bronze medal in the 2006 European surfing championships. Conor made headlines in 2020 with his ride on one of the largest waves during Hurricane Epsilon.

For almost 20 years Clean Coasts in Ireland has worked with heroes around the coasts, individuals and groups that give great personal effort to improve Ireland’s coastline. We have recognized and awarded heroes every year that stand out with great achievements. Our common link is the sea and our relationship with it – taking away rubbish that washes in from it, and stopping rubbish get to the sea; life that lives within the water, and creating events for life beside the sea; tackling short and long term problems; and while educating people about issues around the coast, we create a lot of fun by the sea too!

This series is looking at individuals who brave the wild seas and, whether a sport or a hobby, people have mastered their abilities, won awards and tackled extreme challenges; for charities, competitions, or just simply pushing themselves further that they have been before. Through the series we have looked at open water swimming, diving, canoeing/kayaking, and looking forward to surfing, sailing, windsurfing/kitesurfing, and SUP-ing. We hope to explore their personal stories, their challenges, their difficulties, and their successes What inspired them? An opportunity for volunteers around the Clean Coasts network of Ireland to be inspired by their heroism.

Audience

You are invited to email a question you may have for a speaker in advance to: agray@eeu.antaisce.org We will monitor the chat box on the event for further questions for the speakers, but the audience will be muted throughout the event.

Please book one ticket per device. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.