Watch: Powerboat and plane in sync for St Patrick's Day display in Cork 

One of the world’s fastest powerboats and an aerobatics plane performed a dramatic St Patrick’s Day surprise synchronised display in Cork Harbour in a bid to lift spirits

A synchronised display which was a joint voluntary effort between Safehaven Marine and Atlantic Flight Training Academy in Cork to lift the mood on St Patrick's Day when Safehaven Marine's ThunderChild 11 roared past Cobh, Co. Cork, as AFTA's Slingsby T67 Firefly, a two-seater aerobatic aircraft to train commercial pilots, flew 700ft overhead. Picture: Dennis Horgan

One of the world’s fastest powerboats and an aerobatics plane with links to Prince Harry performed a dramatic St Patrick’s Day surprise synchronised display in Cork Harbour in a bid to lift spirits.

While thousands would normally have lined the streets of Cobh for its traditional St Patrick’s Day parade, people in the harbour town were treated to a thrilling sail-by fly-by spectacle.

The record-breaking wave-piercing ThunderChild 11 roared past the town’s waterfront as a Slingsby T67 Firefly aerobatic aircraft flew just overhead.

Atlantic Flight Training Academy’s (AFTA) Captain Matthew O'Donovan, the academy’s deputy chief flight instructor, dropped the aircraft down to just 700ft and held his speed at 90mph above the boat for the synchronised flyby from west to east.

The record-breaking wave-piercing ThunderChild 11 roared past Cobh's waterfront. Picture: Dennis Horgan

The Slingsby T67 Firefly, a two-seater aerobatic aircraft, flies over Cobh. Picture: Denis Minihane

He tipped his aircraft’s wings in a wing wave to salute to the people watching as both craft departed.

The display was a joint voluntary effort between Safehaven Marine and AFTA to lift the mood on our national holiday in lockdown, AFTA’s Marie McGeehan said.

The Slingsby T67 Firefly is a two-seater aerobatic aircraft used by AFTA to train commercial pilot students in advanced upset prevention recovery training.

But it is also used for aerobatic voucher flights and is the same aircraft Prince Harry completed his first solo flight in.

Capt O'Donovan was joined in the cockpit by Capt Gerry Humphreys, AFTA’s deputy head of training, an ex RAF Harrier pilot, with over 3,000 hours on Harriers, Hawks and Hunter jet fighters.

Safehaven Marine's ThunderChild 11 with the Naval Base, Haulbowline, in the background. Picture: Denis Minihane

Last May, the crew of ThunderChild 11 performed a high-speed pass of Cobh to salute the work of Ireland’s frontline workers during the first wave of the virus.

Its crew flew an Irish flag emblazoned with the message, 'thank you to all of our frontline workers' from her stern.

Thunderchild II was accompanied on that run by a new pilot boat built by the leading boat building company.