Latest / Shadows of Éire | An Irish True Crime Podcast
5. The Great Mountjoy Escape: The Hijack, The Helicopter and The Manhunt
On Halloween 1973, the IRA pulled off one of the most audacious prison breaks in history, landing a hijacked helicopter inside the tiny exercise yard of Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison.
In this episode, we dive deep into the real story behind the "Up and Away" escape. We separate myth from reality as we explore the mysterious "Mr. Leonard"—the man in the white suit who chartered the flight at gunpoint—and trace the dramatic actions of pilot Captain Thompson Boyes under pressure. Plus, we uncover the wild aftermath inside the prison walls, the explosive Portlaoise breakout, and the dramatic 1975…
The skinny
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