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The
Celtic Warrior leads the parade
By
Enda Mullen |
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Steven
Collins leads the Birmingham Parade accompanied by our very
own Jason lowe |
THE
world famous boxer from Dublin, Steve Collins led the St Patrick’s
Day Parade in Birmingham on the 11th of March 2007.
Invited by the Harp Newspaper in association with the St Patrick’s
Day Festival the retired Super Middleweight boxer led the procession
of floats, bands, banners, dancers and much more through Digbeth.
The parade started at Camp Hill going down High Street, Deritend,
around passed Selfridges onto Moat Lane then back down the High Street before
finishing on Alcester Street.
Steve Collins carried the old Irish Flag that was used from approximately
1916 until the Tricolour became the official flag of Ireland. The
weather was perfect for the event with the sun shining and thousands
flocked to the Streets of Digbeth to partake in the celebration of
St Patrick.
Digbeth was described by one onlooker as ‘a sea of green’ and
the parade appears to be going from strength to strength each year.
The unusual twist to the Parade this year was pointed out to me by
Willie Finnegan, and he said, “This year the parade is being
led by
a Dublin man and the last float is the County Monaghan float, which
is running the theme of Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin. The parade
is starting with Dublin and ending with Dublin!”
Steve Collins, at the peak of his boxing career was considered one
of the hardest pound for pound fighters and he never had a fight stopped.
Steve told The Harp, “I was delighted to be asked to lead the
parade. It was a great honour and we were warmly welcomed the whole
way round”.
Lets hope the weather next year is just as good!
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15
Years for Rape
20-year-old Joseph Cummins of Nenagh, Co. Tipperary has been
sentenced to 15 years in prison at the Central Criminal Court,
Limerick, for the rape of a 75-year-old woman. Joseph has 60
previous criminal convictions and suffers from Attention Deficit
disorder, which was took into consideration at the time of sentencing
but the brutality of the rape coupled with his previous convictions
and lack of remorse prompted the judge to sentence him heavily.
Joseph Cummins was also entered on the sex offender’s list. |
The
highs and lows of industry
Digiweb, the Irish Internet provider will create 200 jobs in Blanch-ardstown
and at its headquarters in Dundalk whilst Cork and Dublin will see 428 job
losses.
Motorola’s Cork plant is set to axe 330 of its workers and Zomax based
in Dublin is closing at a cost of 98 jobs. |
IRA
man gets four years
Don Bullman aged 32 from Co. Cork has been sentenced to four years in prison
for his membership of the IRA. He was arrested in Dublin by gardaí who
were investigating the 2004 Northern Bank robbery. It was made clear that he
was only being sentenced for the membership and nothing else. |
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