Donegal freeman herds his sheep across London Bridge

A Donegal man who emigrated to London nearly half a century ago enjoyed the ancient rite of a freeman of the city by walking sheep across London Bridge on Sunday.

Kelly Group chairman and Frosses native Tim Kelly emigrated in the late 70s. He has a house in Frosses and is a regular visitor. He has never forgotten his roots and supports many groups and charities both at home and in the UK.

He was awarded the prestigious Freedom of the City of London at a special ceremony at the city’s Guildhall in July “in recognition of his success as a businessman and his charitable works”.

The Honorary Freedom is the highest honour the City of London can bestow and is one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies still in existence today, and is believed to have been first presented in 1237.

The tradition dates back to the 12th century when traders were allowed to enter the city with the tools of their trade without paying a toll.

They were given the status of 'Freeman' meaning they worked for themselves and were not committed to working for someone else under the feudal system.

During the medieval period, there would have been a number of guilds for everything from farming to baking, which a freeman could join.

The title of Freeman of the City is largely now a ceremonial title but originally would have come with a number of perks including being able to wear a sword in public.

Tim Kelly

He joins the illustrious ranks of Honorary Freemen including Lord Nelson, The Duke of Wellington, David Livingston, William Gladstone, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, Montgomery of Alamein, Queen Elizabeth II, and Stephen Hawking.

He was joined on Sunday by members of his immediate family, relatives, friends, and colleagues from all walks of life.

The Kelly Group has been at the forefront of the telecommunications industry for more than 35 years, installing the very first customer cable television service in 1985. It was set up to support the emerging UK cable television market and has grown and diversified to meet the needs of today’s digital age.