Hundreds of children released orange helium balloons off the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare as part of the campaign to have the cliffs selected as one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature".

Organizers called it the "Great Cliff Balloon Race" with the balloon that travels the farthest winning. Katherine Webster, the manager of the Cliffs of Moher visitor center said the biodegradable balloons could travel as far as Britain.

“It is anyone’s guess how far they could travel, but they could make it as far as the coast of the UK if the conditions are alright, and they are beautiful this afternoon," said Webster.

Last year the Cliffs of Moher were chosen as one of 28 in the shortlist for the "New 7 Wonders of Nature". The group in Clare has been campaigning on behalf of the Cliffs ever since.

Each of the orange balloons has the "vote for the cliffs" logo printed on it and message to contact the visitor center at the Cliffs of Moher.

Other wonders of nature that have been shortlisted include the Amazon Rainforest, Table Mountain, the Black Forest, Mount Vesuvius, Galapagos Islands, the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. The shortlisted wonders were choices via 100 million cast online in a global poll.

Róisín Ní Gháirbhith, a local said "The Cliffs of Moher are not just a wonder of the world, it is an honor to have it as a wonder on our doorstep.”

For more information visit www.new7wonders.com/en/ or www.cliffsofmoher.ie