THE elaborate kidnap and robbery at Bank of Ireland’s landmark College Green building overlooking Trinity College was similar to the £26.5 million (€29.7m) pre-Christmas heist carried out by the IRA on the Northern Bank’s head office in Belfast in December 2004.

An armed gang escaped with €7m after holding a mother and daughter hostage as a young worker was ordered to carry out the biggest ever bank heist in this country.

Tens of thousands of Barack Obama’s supporters in the senator’s home town of Chicago gathered for a huge election-night rally to mark a historic victory celebration.