Choppers and skydivers making for Kerry skies

THE 2017 Military Tattoo erupts into frenzied life in Listowel this weekend as choppers, skydivers and more than 200 re-enactors make their way to the Kingdom for the biggest festival of its kind in the country.

Late Tralee helicopter ace Captain John O’Sullivan is the big figure of commemoration this year - the second most decorated airman of the Vietnam War who risked his life flying the iconic ‘Huey’ in and out of jungle battles.

Comrades who flew with him will take part in a ceremony in his honour in the Square on Saturday from 1pm with an actual Huey performing a ‘flyover’ at ceremony’s end.

That Huey, flying over from the UK later in the week, will be in situ in the Town Park all day Sunday to give people a better feel for O’Sullivan’s experience in Southeast Asia.

And our own aerial daredevils - the Black Knights - will be in action in one of the many great spectacles of the weekend when they jump out of a chopper thousands of feet over the Island on tricolour parachutes.

Siege of Jadotville veterans, warrior queens of Irish myth, World War 2 era re-enactors and the biggest Viking village seen in Kerry since the real Vikings slung their hooks off after the battle of Clontarf are just some of the myriad other exciting people and events set for Listowel for the festival.

“It’s going to be the biggest Tattoo yet with anywhere between 200 and 300 re-enactors in town over the two days and thousands of visitors,” organiser Pádraig Nolan told The Kerryman.

“We’re now the biggest military festival in the country, nowhere else does it on this scale and we’ve visitors coming from all over the island and the UK.”

“One of the big things for the children this year will be the Irish Warrior Princesses - three actors in character for the weekend as Queen Maedhbh, Aoife and Eimear, talking to the kids and taking photographs.”

“We have a massive Viking village coming to the Living History park in the field off the Bridge Road as well this year, a lot of which was used in the TV series Vikings and Game of Thrones, showing how the Vikings really lived.”

For a full programme of the events check out the Listowel Military Tattoo on Facebook.

Padraig Nolan, Mike Loughnane, Peter Devane, Domnick Scanlon, Shane Linehan, Listowel Town Manager Joan McCarthy and Martin McCarthy launching the Military Tattoo in Listowel.