It was released on 8 December 2010,[1] after its accompanying music video was aired on RTÉ Television programme Republic of Telly.

[3][4] It has also resulted in first one then two lifesize models of a horses, painted by young people aged 10–18, being an art installation outside the Hunt Museum in Limerick.

RTÉ insisted the reason was that the programme was "fully booked" for live performances, and The Rubberbandits had been a "last-minute" addition.

[8] International press (such as the Spectator and CNBC)[9] picked up on the phenomenon running blog pieces on the video and its content after its success on YouTube.

[10][11] However, the effort fell short, finishing at #2 on the Christmas chart and losing to The X Factor winner Matt Cardle by over 25,000 sales, in part because the record companies failed to deliver the 25,000 extra singles to record stores until one day after the deadline for the Christmas charts.