The Helicopter Song

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The Helicopter Song is a Number 1 single by the Irish traditional band the Wolfe Tones.

[edit] Background

The song tells the story of the 1973 escape of three Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners from Dublin's Mountjoy Prison. On October 31 an IRA member hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to fly to Mountjoy where the three prisoners, JB O'Hagan, Seamus Twomey and Kevin Mallon, were lifted by helicopter from the exercise yard of Mountjoy Jail's D Wing at 3.40pm. The incident caused major embarrassment for the government.

[edit] Chart success

The song peaked in the Irish charts on November 22, 1973 and held that position for four weeks until it was replaced by Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody".

Preceded by "For The Good Times" by Perry Como

Irish Singles Chart number one single November 22, 1973

Succeeded by "Merry Christmas Everybody" by Slade