Clare surfers to take on Europe

Two Clare surfers have been selected for the Irish surf team to represent the country when the European Surfing Championships take place in Bundoran, from September 23 until October 3.
Oliver O’Flaherty, 24, and Stephen Kelleher 24, both from Lahinch, competed in a series of selection events in early 2011 in order to secure a place on the Irish team.
Ollie O’Flaherty, a member of the West Coast Surf Club, will be competing in the open surfing division of Eurosurf.
Stephen Kelleher is also from Lahinch and has recently been elected vice-chairman of West Coast Surf Club. Stephen is no stranger to international competition and was ranked 17th, while representing Ireland at Eurosurf 2009 in Jersey. He was also WCSC longboard champion in 2008. Stephen will compete in the longboard division of Eurosurf.
The other team members are Ronan Oertzen, Shauna Ward, Darragh McCarter and Richie Fitzgerald from Bundoran; Easkey Britton from Rossnowlagh; Stephen Kilfeather and Ashleigh Smith from Sligo; John McCurry from Portrush; Shane Meehan from Strandhill and Cain Kilcullen from Enniscrone.
One position remains to be filled on the team and the contest is between John Britton from Rossnowlagh and Keith O’Brien from Tramore. A ‘surf-off’ will take place at the Sea Sessions Surf Music Festival in Bundoran at the end of June to decide the final member of the Irish team to compete at Eurosurf 2011.
The team will be coached by Pascal Devine, a native of Newtownstewart in County Tyrone and managed by Stevie Burns from Portrush, County Antrim.
The European Surfing Championships alternate each year between the senior ­Eurosurf event and the Eurojunior junior event. The Euros were first held in 1970 in Jersey.
This will be Ireland’s fourth time to host Eurosurf and it is the third time that the event will be in Bundoran.
In 1972 the event was held in Spanish Point and was won by England. France won in Bundoran in 1985 while Portugal won at the Donegal venue in 1997.