Balloons travel 300 miles to Crossmolina

BURSTING WITH EXCITEMENT ?Pictured are Michael Owens (middle) and twins Joseph (left) and Conor Howley (right) with the balloons.

Balloons travel 300 miles from Devon to Crossmolina


Heatwave brings new meaning to hot-air balloons

Ciara Galvin

WHEN John Kearns found a bunch of balloons in some ferns on his land in Carrowkilleen, Crossmolina, in the early afternoon on July 20 last, he gave them to his nephews and their cousin, thinking no more of them.
That was until his bother-in-law Patrick Howley, googled the web address printed on the balloons, which suggested that the very same balloons had travelled an astonishing 300 miles in 24 hours from Tavistock in West Devon, England.
“John thought there was someone walking along the hedges but after going over he realised they were balloons so he gave them to my twin sons Joseph and Conor and their cousin Michael,” explained Mr Howley.
After contacting the furniture retailer Fairway Furniture, in Tavistock, Patrick became aware that the bunch of 12 helium balloons had been accidently released by a child attending the 157th birthday celebrations of the furniture company in the town. Patrick took a picture of the  children with the balloons in Crossmolina and sent them to Peter Harding, the managing director of the company.
While speaking about his surprise at finding out that the balloons had travelled such a distance, Patrick speculated that the good weather and high pressure over Ireland at the time must have resulted in the balloons reaching ‘a serious height’.
“It was the last of the glorious weather,” added Patrick.
Amazed at the story of how far the balloons travelled, the managing director contacted local TV and print media in the West Devon area to tell the story of the travelling balloons.  
In a gesture of thanks for contacting the company, Mr Harding arranged for a gift voucher for World of Wonder toy shop in Ballina, for the three-year-old twins and their six-year-old cousin.
Mr Howley concluded by quipping that perhaps Tavistock and Crossmolina should now be ‘twinned’, with direct-flight routes opening up between the two towns. Passengers would be expected to travel by hot-air balloon of course.