- 1973 Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape
The 1973 Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape occurred on October 31, 1973, when three
Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members escaped fromMountjoy Prison inDublin ,Republic of Ireland after a hijacked helicopter landed in the prison's exercise yard. The escape made headlines around the world and was an embarrassment to the Irishcoalition government led by Fine Gael'sLiam Cosgrave , which was criticised by opposition partyFianna Fáil . A manhunt involving twenty thousand members of theIrish Defence Forces andGarda Síochána was launched for the escapees, one of whom,Seamus Twomey , was not recaptured until December 1977. TheWolfe Tones wrote a song celebrating the escape called "The Helicopter Song ", which topped the Irish popular music charts despite being banned by the government.Background
Following the outbreak of
the Troubles in 1969, the IRA had conducted an armed campaign that sought to create aUnited Ireland by ending Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom. As a result of increasing levels of violence in Northern Ireland,internment without trial was introduced in August 1971, and in the Republic of Ireland the coalition government led by Fine Gael's Liam Cosgrave was attempting to curb IRA activity.cite book | last = Hayes | first = Paddy | authorlink = | title = Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes | publisher =O'Brien Press | date = 2004 | pages = pp. 118–119 | doi = | isbn = 0-86278-875-7] Fine Gael had come to power on a law and order ticket, with a policy of "getting tough on crime". Suspected IRA members were arrested and accused of IRA membership by a superintendent in the Garda Síochána, a crime under the Offences against the State Act. They were tried at the jurylessSpecial Criminal Court in Dublin, where the traditional IRA policy of not recognising the court resulted in a "fait accompli " as no defence was offered and IRA membership carried a minimum mandatory one-year sentence, resulting in internment in all but name. In September 1973 IRA Chief of StaffSeamus Twomey appeared at the Special Criminal Court charged with IRA membership, and stated "I refuse to recognise this British-orientated quisling court"."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", p. 114.] He was found guilty and received a five-year sentence. By October 1973 the IRA's command structure was seriously curbed, with Twomey and other senior republicans JB O'Hagan and Kevin Mallon all being held in Mountjoy Prison.Planning of the escape
The IRA immediately began making plans to break Twomey, O'Hagan and Mallon out of the prison."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 120–121.] The first attempt involved explosives that had been smuggled into the prison, which were to be used to blow a hole in a door which would give the prisoners access to the exercise yard. From there, they would scale a
rope ladder thrown over the exterior wall by members of the IRA's Dublin Brigade who would have agetaway car waiting to complete the escape. The plan failed when the prisoners could not gain access to the exercise yard and the rope ladder was spotted, so the IRA began making new escape plans. The idea of using a helicopter in an escape had been discussed before, an idea to breakGerry Adams out of Long Kesh Internment Camp had been ruled out due to faster and more sophisticatedBritish Army helicopters being stationed at a nearby base."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 122–123.] The IRA's GHQ staff approved the plan to break out Twomey, O'Hagan and Mallon, and arrangements were made to obtain a helicopter. A man with an American accent calling himself Mr. Leonard approached the manager of Irish Helicopters atDublin Airport , with a view to hiring a helicopter for an aerial photographic shoot inCounty Laois . After being shown the company's fleet of helicopters, Leonard arranged to hire a five-seater Alouette II for October 31.The escape
Leonard arrived at Irish Helicopters on October 31 and was introduced to the pilot of the helicopter, Captain Thompson Boyes."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", p. 124–125.] Boyes was instructed to fly to a field in
Stradbally , in order to pick up Leonard's photographic equipment. After landing Boyes saw two armed, masked men approaching the helicopter from nearby trees.cite web | title = The Canny Copter Caper | author = Louisa Wright | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,944665,00.html | publisher = "TIME" | date = November 12, 1973 | accessdate = 2008-03-19] Boyes was held at gunpoint and told he would not be harmed if he followed instructions."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 126–127.] Leonard left with one gunman, while the other gunman climbed aboard the helicopter armed with a pistol and an Armalite rifle.cite book | last = MacUileagóid | first = Mícheál | authorlink = | title = From Fetters to Freedom | publisher = Sásta | date = 1996 | pages = p. 61 | doi = | isbn = 978-1901005059] Boyes was instructed to fly towards Dublin following the path of railway lines and theRoyal Canal , and was ordered not to register his flight path withAir Traffic Control . As the helicopter approached Dublin, Boyes was informed of the escape plan and instructed to land in the exercise yard at Mountjoy Prison.In the prison's exercise yard, the prisoners were watching a football match. Shortly after 3:35 pm the helicopter swung in to land in the prison yard, with Kevin Mallon directing the pilot using semaphore."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 128–129.] A
prison officer on duty initially took no action as he believed the helicopter contained the Minister for DefencePaddy Donegan . After prisoners surrounded the eight prison officers in the yard, fights broke out as the officers realised an escape attempt was in progress. As other prisoners restrained the officers, Twomey, Mallon and O'Hagan boarded the helicopter. As the helicopter took off, in the confusion one officer shouted "Close the gates, close the fucking gates". The helicopter flew north and landed at a disusedracecourse in theBaldoyle area of Dublin, where the escapees were met by members of the IRA's Dublin Brigade."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 130–131.] The escapees were transferred to a taxi that had been hijacked earlier, and transported tosafe house s.Reaction
The escape made headlines around the world and was an embarrassment for Cosgrave's government, which was criticised for "incompetence in security matters" by opposition party Fianna Fáil."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", p. 132.] cite book | last = Moloney | first = Ed | authorlink = Ed Moloney | title = A Secret History of the IRA | publisher =
Penguin Books | date = 2002 | pages = p. 172 | isbn = 0-141-01041-X] An emergency debate on security was held inDáil Éireann on November 1, where leader of the oppositionJack Lynch stated:It is poetic justice that a helicopter is now at the heart of the Government's embarrassment and in the centre of their dilemma. Indeed, it was hard to blame the prison officer who observed that he thought it was the Minister for Defence paying an informal visit to Mountjoy Prison yesterday because, of course, we all know the Minister for Defence is wont to use helicopters, as somebody observed already, as other Ministers are wont to use State cars. [cite web | title = Committee on Finance. - Mountjoy Jail Escape: Statement by Taoiseach | author = | url = http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0268/D.0268.197311010007.html | publisher =
Oireachtas | date = November 1, 1973 | accessdate = 2008-03-19] ["From Fetters to Freedom", pp. 61–62.]The IRA released a statement on the escape, which read, "Three republican prisoners were rescued by a special unit from Mountjoy Prison on Wednesday. The operation was a complete success and the men are now safe, despite a massive hunt by Free State forces". [cite web | title = Chopper escape from Mountjoy | author = Art Mac Eoin | url = http://republican-news.org/archive/2001/November01/01hist.html | publisher = "
An Phoblacht " | date = November 1, 2001 | accessdate = 2008-03-19] Shortly after the escape Twomey gave an exclusive interview to German magazine "Der Spiegel ", where he claimed people throughout Europe were describing it as "the escape of the century"."From Fetters to Freedom", p. 63.] Irish rebel band theWolfe Tones wrote a song celebrating the escape called "The Helicopter Song ", which was immediately banned by the government yet still topped the Irish popular music charts after selling twelve thousand copies in a single week.Aftermath
The escape resulted in all IRA prisoners being held at Mountjoy Prison and
Curragh Camp being transferred to the maximum securityPortlaoise Prison . In order to prevent any further escapes the perimeter of the prison was guarded by members of theIrish Army , and wires were erected over the prison yard to prevent any future helicopter escape. Cosgrave stated there would be "no hiding place" for the escapees, and a manhunt involving twenty thousand members of the Irish Defence Forces and Garda Síochána ensued. Mallon was recaptured at aGaelic Athletic Association dance in a hotel nearPortlaoise on December 10, 1973, and imprisoned in Portlaoise Prison."Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 134–135.] He escaped from there in a mass breakout on August 18, 1974, when nineteen prisoners escaped after overpowering guards and usinggelignite to blast through the gates. [cite web | title = Portlaoise escape re-union | author = | url = http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/6128 | publisher = "An Phoblacht" | date = August 19, 2004 | accessdate = 2008-03-19] "Break-out! Famous Prison Escapes", pp. 136–137.] He was recaptured inFoxrock in January 1975 and returned to Portlaoise Prison. [cite web | title = Herrema's kidnapper explains motive | author =Eamonn McCann | url = http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/arts2005/oct23_Gallagher_Herrema__EMcCann_Sunday-Journal.php | publisher = "Sunday Journal " | date = October 23, 2005 | accessdate = 2008-03-19] O'Hagan was recaptured in Dublin in early 1975, and also imprisoned in Portlaoise Prison. After the end of his original twelve-month sentence, he was immediately arrested and sentenced to a further two years imprisonment for escaping. Twomey evaded recapture until December 2, 1977, when he was spotted sitting in a car inSandycove by members of the Garda'sSpecial Branch who were investigating an arms shipment after a tip-off from police in Belgium. Twomey drove away after spotting the officers, before being recaptured in the centre of Dublin after a high-speed car chase. He was also imprisoned in Portlaoise Prison until his release in 1982.ee also
*List of other helicopter prison escapes
References
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