Council praised for great festival

“The Clipper Festival has been a wonderful achievement and a brilliant success,” says Londonderry Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Sinead McLaughlin. “The Chamber wants to place on record its warm and sincere congratulations to Derry City Council, chief executive Sharon O’Connor, its hard working staff and city councillors in enabling this to happen and for the council’s very professional and highly competent management of the event.

“Everything has worked superbly – events have gone without a hitch, the streets and pavements have been beautifully clean and the floral displays have been maintained to perfection. This has shown what Derry can achieve and the whole city should be proud. If City of Culture can be as good as this, we are in for a wonderful year!

“Praise and thanks should also be given to all the other actors who have made this week such a great success. Londonderry Port and Harbour and the Loughs Agency invested in the pontoons to convert the stretch of river into a wonderful new marina. And the Department for Social Development’s investment has transformed the quality of the riverfront, enabling our city to look out at the river and value it as an asset. Thanks should also be given to the Department for Regional Development for agreeing that the revenue generating riverside car park could be converted into a wonderful public space.”