Liam Neeson Awarded Ballymena Honour

Liam Neeson has been offered the Freedom of the Borough of Ballymena.

Ballymena Borough Council has unanimously agreed to offer the award to the Northern Irish actor.

The agreement came following a council meeting on Monday evening in which the Mayor of Ballymena PJ McAvoy made the proposal.

It is expected that a ceremony could take place next year.

Liam Neeson said he was honoured and delighted to accept the accolade.

Speaking from his home in New York, Neeson said: "Enormous strides have been made in my native Northern Ireland in the past decade, demonstrated by political, social and economic changes that came about through a combination of courage, generosity and persistence."

Ballymena Mayor PJ McAvoy has welcomed the decision to award the honour.

"I am absolutely delighted that my colleagues have unanimously agreed to offer what is a very significant honour to Liam Neeson," he said.

"This is the highest accolade that a Council can bestow on one of its citizens."

Liam Neeson joins three other people who have been awarded the freedom of Ballymena; Dr Ian Paisley, Dr Syd Millar and Sandy Spence.

The news follows a decision by DUP councillors in 2000 to object to the proposal because of comments supposedly made by Liam Neeson in an Amercian magazine interview.

He is quoted as saying he felt "second class" as a Catholic growing up in the mainly Protestant town and that he had to stay indoors during the 12 July parades.

Neeson wrote a letter to the council following the decision at that time.

It said: "I will always remain very proud of my upbringing in, and association with, the town and my country of birth, which I will continue to promote at every opportunity.

"Indeed I regard the enduring support over the years from all sections of the community in Ballymena as being more than sufficient recognition for any success which I may have achieved as an actor."

(IT/GK)