The Leinster Leader is a newspaper published in County Kildare, Ireland.  The paper recently featured Black Hills Balloons in a series honoring Kildare natives abroad.

“UP, UP AND AWAY!  BUSINESS IS BALLOONING FOR KILDARE MAN – FLYING HIGH: US-BASED MONASTEREVIN NATIVE AND WIFE HAVE FLOWN OVER 5,000 PASSENGERS INTO THE SKY

Monasterevin native Damien Mahony is living the American dream with wife Keely as their day job is flying high in hot air balloons over the majestic Black Hills area of South Dakota.

The couple recently were visited by singer Daniel O’Donnell and his wife Majella as part of the Daniel & Majella’s USA Road Trip on RTE and their Black Hills Balloons business was featured on the program.

They live in a popular tourist area which is home to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Devils Tower National Monument and the historic Gold Rush-era town Deadwood.

Damien was raised in Monasterevin and emigrated to the US after graduating from the University of Limerick in the 1990s.

The Kildare man started his career in the commercial balloon business in 1999 and hasn’t looked back.

To read the full story, click here.