Up to 40 hot air balloons to take to skies above Loughrea

The longest-running national hot air balloon championships in the world will grace the skies above Loughrea this month.

Up to 40 hot air balloons from all over the world will be headquartered in the Lough Rea Hotel and Spa from September 25 to 30 to take part in the event which is being supported by Galway County Counci.

The balloons are expected to launch each morning and evening from various locations around Loughrea depending on the weather conditions on the day.

Event Director Joe Daly said: “We have a record number of balloon teams attending the event in Loughrea.  So far, the welcome has been tremendous, especially the support from the County Council. The event, which is totally free to the public, will be a magical one for all to see and experience.”

A number of activities are in the planning phase such as a night glow and school visits by some of the balloon teams.

The championship’s website has just been launched and in addition to information on the event, there is information about ballooning, the visiting balloon teams, launch sites and news updates.