'As good as it gets' - Donegal surfer enjoys a swell of the ages at Mullaghmore

County Sligo’s Mullaghmore was a hive of activity as a massive swell arrived from the Atlantic Ocean.

Christmas came early for surfers, with the biggest swell in years sending waves crashing off the north-west coast.

Red Bull surfer and Bundoran man Conor Maguire caught one of the biggest waves of the day in what was a swell for the ages.

Maguire was joined in the water by a crew of international Red Bull surfers and big wave specialists, including Ben Larg (Scotland), Justine Dupont (France) and Natxo Gonzalez (Spain).

Speaking after getting back on land, Maguire said: “This morning was pretty memorable. We had seen a crazy charge on the forecast from a few days out, and no one could believe the numbers – a massive swell with so much energy and wind behind it.”

“The conditions were as good as it gets! We couldn’t believe what we saw when we came around the corner in Mullaghmore this morning. I got pretty lucky, it was my first wave of the day and one of the biggest ones I’ve ever rode here. It’s the biggest wave I’ve seen here since Hurricane Epsilon – definitely one of the most memorable rides of my life, a lot of fun!”