VIDEO: Lucky escape as helicopter crashes into pub

A publican and his wife narrowly escaped the force of a blast when a helicopter crashed into their canal side pub.

Teddy and Betty McGoey had gone into a back function room of the Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, Co Longford, last night to investigate after hearing the aircraft hovering low overhead for a few minutes.

They were standing on the dancefloor when the propellers and tail of the helicopter smashed into the wooden back wall of the pub.