Council To Consider Freedom Of The Borough Awards At Special January Meeting

A special meeting of Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council has been scheduled for Tuesday, 6 January 2026 at 6pm, ahead of a full council meeting later that evening.

Councillors will be asked to consider two Notices of Motion relating to the awarding of the Freedom of the Borough, the council’s highest civic honour.

The first motion, proposed by Alderman Boyle and seconded by Councillor Mairs, recommends that the honour be conferred on Hannah Scott following her gold medal success in the Women’s Quadruple Sculls at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as part of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team.

Ms Scott is the first woman from Northern Ireland to win an Olympic gold medal since 1972. The motion describes the award as a fitting recognition of her achievement and her status as a role model for young people across the borough, particularly young women and girls.

A second motion, proposed by Alderman Callan and seconded by Alderman Fielding, calls for the Freedom of the Borough to be awarded to the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

The citation highlights the service and sacrifice of prison officers who worked through the most difficult periods in Northern Ireland’s history, as well as those who continue to serve today. It also pays tribute to officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, recognising their contribution to upholding the rule of law and democracy.