Red Bull Cliff Diving
World Series, Downpatrick Head
In September 2021 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series returned to Ireland.
Surrounded by a rugged coastal landscape, towering cliffs and staggering views of the Atlantic Ocean, Downpatrick Head on Ireland’s West Coast played host to the world’s elite cliff divers for the fifth Irish edition of the event.
About the event on September 12, 2021
For their fifth visit to Ireland since 2012, the world’s best cliff divers found themselves competing from a brand new launchpad on the sheer cliffs of Downpatrick Head.
After three stops in the rough waters of Inis Mór, the World Series heads to the north coast of County Mayo where the Atlantic waters will once again test these talented athletes to their limits.
With two dives directly off the cliff, the 12 men and 12 women got a chance to connect to the purity of the place and display their sport in its most natural form, before returning to the platforms for their more difficult diving manoeuvres.
As they prepared to leap from the vertiginous cliffs, the divers were treated to the most fantastic view of the nearby Dun Briste (Broken Fort) sea-stack, a landmark which may well provide them with a valuable reference point as they spin and twist their way aesthetically towards the water.