'There were so many challenges': Jump from Cork's Dursey cable car a world first

The world’s first cable car dive was undertaken in West Cork last month by Red Bull cliff diver Orlando Duque.

Mr Duque, a nine-time winner at Red Bull’s Cliff Diving World Series events, and pioneer of cliff diving, completed the record, 24m jump from the Dursey Cable Car in West Cork on September 29.

The cable car, suspended above 150m of open water between Ballaghboy and Dursey Island, is the only cable car in Europe that travels over the sea. It was opened in 1969 and has served as a crucial connection for residents of the island.

Mr Duque, who is Colombian, described the cable car as “so unique”, saying that the opportunity to dive from it was “something special”.

“I’ve jumped off a lot of things during my career, but a cable car is definitely a first for me,” said Mr Duque.

“Dursey Island, and the whole area around, is very unique. It is such a beautiful area, but with the wind here, the currents, the changing tide. There were so many challenges.”

Unlike traditional cliff dives, Mr Duque said his challenge lay in the movement of the cable car itself, as he had no fixed platform to jump from.

“I’ve dived before in Ireland and there are some amazing cliffs in this country, but this was something else,” he said.

“The biggest difference is that you don’t have a stable base to take off from.

“As soon as you push, you don’t have that solid feeling, where you can control the dive.

“So, as soon as you leave the cable car you need to start solving problems, like building up speed: That was the main challenge.”

In preparation for the dive, Mr Duque trained at the state-of-the-art Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Centre in Florida, fine-tuning his form to adapt to the unusual dynamics of this jump.

Tim O’Herlihy, senior engineer with Cork County Council, who supported Red Bull on the dive, said the conditions Mr Duque faced for the dive were very challenging, as “the sea here can change very, very quickly”.

“One day, it’s nice and calm and, the next, there’s 2m swells,” said Mr O’Herlihy.

“It’s a very, very tough environment.”