Lift off for Ballooning Championships!
The hot air balloons are providing plenty of colour around the skies of Boyle.
The annual Hot Air Ballooning Championships have made a long awaited return to Lough Key Forest Park.
Following a number of flight cancellations over the weekend due to windy weather, the spectacular aerial event got underway in earnest early this morning, Monday, with balloons taking to the skies.
The championships make their first return to Boyle after more than thirty years and take place until Friday, September 26th.
First established in 1971, the ballooning event has grown from hosting a handful of hot air balloons to now more than 40.
The Boyle spectacle is featuring pilots from Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Germany and Chile competing against each other to determine the overall winner.
Watch one of the balloons taking off at Lough Key Forest Park this morning as large crowds gathered:
