Dundalk and Carlingford got a trial run of the sounds and sights that await them this week when the helicopters that will be part and parcel of US president Joe Biden’s visit did trial flights in and out of the county.
On Sunday afternoon two presidential helicopters - call sign Marine One when POTUS is on board - and two US Army Chinocks, roused everyone from their Easter Sunday afternoon slump.
Social media was flooded with photographs and videos of them as they made their way along the east coast before initially landing in fields at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk and then onto the Cooley Kickhams GAA pitch just outside Carlingford.
Andrea McKevitt, fifth cousin of President Joe Biden, saw and heard them and said, “the house shook, and we all rushed outside and couldn’t believe our eyes to see 3 chinooks and two marine helicopters overhead".
She does not know if she will meet him next week but said, “it was an amazing once in a lifetime sight, this fly over has made it all very real now; a captivating view that has raised the excitement levels now to an all-time high in the peninsula ahead of Wednesday’s big visit".
