Balloon championships draw over million views and boost local economy

The hot air balloon championships have brought crowds to Lough Key Forest Park, a boost to Boyle businesses and around 1.9 million views to the park’s social media pages in six days.

The final scheduled flight took off on Friday morning, bringing this year’s event to a close. Around 35 balloons were registered, although not all flew together. The number taking off for each flight depended on conditions and the pilots’ decisions.

Evening flights proved especially popular, with advance parking reservations almost sold out. The crowds also brought heavy traffic to the N4, where Gardaí managed vehicles arriving and leaving the area.

“People wanted to come in and see the balloons, so they would kind of do anything to get in,” said park general manager Dermot. He said the traffic plan worked well inside the park, while Gardaí “did a fantastic job” on the N4.

Dermot said the balloonists and their crews also brought trade to local accommodation providers, pubs, cafés and restaurants.

“It’s a great boost for businesses,” he said. “For us to be able to host and give a boost to the local economy — look, it’s a win-win for everybody.” The championships’ return to Lough Key was a personal ambition for Dermot, who remembered seeing the balloons there as a child around 30 years ago. He approached the organisers about bringing them back, and Roscommon County Council supported the event’s return in 2025. It was held at the park again this year.

The images shared online have given the park another lift. Dermot said its own social media pages had received around 1.9 million views over the past six days.

“It showcases the beauty of Lough Key and the surrounding area of Roscommon,” he said. He hopes people who visited for the balloons will come back to enjoy the park and Boyle at other times of the year. There is no decision yet on whether the championships will return in 2027.

“We’d love to have them back, obviously, but it would depend on a number of factors,” Dermot said. “We’ve got to take a breath, sit down around a table with the right people and discuss how this year went.” He also praised the park’s small team for managing the event during a busy week, when midweek staffing was a challenge.

“I’m very proud of everyone that is here and works here,” he said.

Unlike other aircraft, balloons travel with the wind. Pilots can rise or descend to catch winds moving in different directions, but they generally land wherever conditions allow after about 30 or 40 minutes. A retrieval crew then collects the balloon.

“There’s no way of steering a balloon other than knowing the direction of wind,” Dermot said. “You need calm, clear conditions for ballooning.”