Everyone wants to see the sights when they come to Ireland and there’s no better way to do it than taking to the skies.
For a serene glide over the gorgeous landscapes, a ride with Irish Balloon Flights will do the trick. Their hot air balloons lift off from three scenic locations – the heritage town of Trim in County Meath, the medieval city of Kilkenny and the waterfront town of Athlone, all in Ireland’s Ancient East.
Trim’s launch sites include magnificent Trim Castle – the filming location of the movie Braveheart – and the iconic Hill of Tara, which was the seat of the high kings of Ireland. Flights from Athlone deliver spectacular views of the River Shannon and Lough Ree, while those from Kilkenny soar over the town’s imposing Norman castle and cathedral and out over the lush Irish countryside.
A different airborne experience is to be found in Northern Ireland where Cutting Edge Helicopters offer the chance to see Game of Thrones shooting locations from the air. The hour-long flight wings its way along the Causeway Coastal Route, named with Belfast as Lonely Planet’s number one region for travellers for 2018.
The ride of a lifetime takes in Downhill Beach (Dragonstone), Portstewart Strand (the Coast of Dorne), Binevenagh (the Dothraki Grasslands), Larrybane (the Stormlands), not to mention the famous Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle.
Dublin-based company Wild Atlantic Flights also offers several air tours over some of the country’s most picturesque landmarks, cityscapes and countryside.
Their Wild West Adventure soars over the amazing Wild Atlantic Way, swooping over the Aran Islands, the stark Burren landscape and the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. Other tours include a flight over County Wicklow’s Glendalough and giving a bird’s eye view of the ancient monastic site, the fabulous Powerscourt Estate and the gorgeous east coast south of Dublin.
For those who appreciate the thrills of the air but prefer to keep their feet on the ground, the skies over County Limerick will burst into action with at the end of July with the return of the Foynes Air Show (28 July). It features a fantastic air display by international aerobatic pilots and the chance to see World War II aircraft and high tech military planes.
Foynes is also the home of the only Flying Boat Museum in the world, which houses a unique replica of the B314 flying boat.
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