- Davy Tweed
-
Davy Tweed (born 13 November 1959 in Ballymoney, County Antrim) is a former Irish rugby international and an independent councillor on Ballymena Borough Council.
Contents
Political career
Tweed was elected as a DUP Councillor but in 2007 was among six Ballymena DUP councillors who refused to canvass for the party in the Assembly elections because of the parties policy to share power with Sinn Féin.[1] He resigned from the party having felt betrayed by the DUP's willingness to share power with republicans and continued his role in Ballymena Borough council as an independent. Tweed is a member of the Orange Order and belongs to a lodge in Dunloy and has been involved in protests relating to the Parades Commission continuing ban on Orange marches in Dunloy.[2][3]
Controversy
On 29 October 1997, shortly after his election to Ballymena Council, Tweed was fined at Coleraine magistrates court for assault.[4]
On 8 June 2006 he made remarks at a Ballymena Borough Council meeting regarding the upbringing of a 15 year old Catholic Michael McIlveen, murdered in Ballymena in a sectarian attack.He also claimed people linked to the victims family had been involved in intimidation of Protestants after the murder.[5]
On 22 September 2007, Tweed was stopped driving a car under the influence of alcohol. On 21 January 2008, North Antrim Magistrates Court banned him from driving for a year and handed down a £250 fine.[6]
Ulster television news 19 January 2009. Davy Tweed charged with sex offences, strict reporting restrictions were imposed.
22 May 2009, Davy Tweed was acquitted of the charges. Tweed thanked the jury after his three-week trial for "their total vindication of me by unanimously finding me not guilty of all counts".
By their verdicts the jury accepted Tweed's outright denials of "anything improper occurring" between him and the girls [7]
Sport
He won four caps for Ireland in the mid-1990s, with his first, against France in 1995.
References
- ^ Newsletter - Gang of six refuse to campaign for DUP party leader
- ^ Dunloy lodge hits out at'Being denied rights' The Newsletter
- ^ Tweed and his lol lose appeal over parade ban Belfast Telegraph
- ^ CAIN Chronology
- ^ McIlveen family Tweed commentsNuzhound
- ^ Councillor caught drink driving
- ^ http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Councillor-cleared-of-sex-charges.5295939.jp
Ireland squad – 1995 Rugby World Cup Forwards Backs Coach MurphyCategories:- Democratic Unionist Party politicians
- Councillors in Northern Ireland
- Living people
- Ballymena R.F.C. players
- Irish rugby union players
- Ireland international rugby union players
- Rugby union locks
- 1959 births
- People from Ballymoney
- Orangemen
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
