No Mayor’s Show for Ballymoney

Ballymoney councillor Darryl Wilson said that he would be pushing for council officers to ensure that the event would be included in future years’ calendars.

He told the Times: “Ballymoney only has two major events in the town every year - the Christmas lights switch-on and the Mayor’s Show.

“The four legacy councils were asked which events needed to be rolled over into the new council and the old Ballymoney Borough Council didn’t mention the Mayor’s Show.

“I feel the event should not be overlooked and I will be asking the Council Directors to ensure that the event takes place in later years as local businesses in Ballymoney doubled their takings on that day and everyone takes part from hauliers, to church groups, GBs and BBs etc.”

The current Mayor of the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council - which covers all four areas of Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady and Moyle - said that if a Ballymoney Mayor’s Show had been planned for this year she would have had “no problem at all” in attending it.

Cllr Michelle Knight-McQuillan said that she was “upset” that discussions about the Ballymoney Mayor’s Show had taken place on social media platforms and at a recent Council committee meeting and yet no one had yet spoken directly to her about the issue.

The Mayor told the Times: “From the beginning, I have said that I will be inclusive of all areas of the Borough as we are all one council now,

“I was very disappointed when it was pointed out to me that there were discussions about Ballymoney Mayor’s Show on social media.

“At last week’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting, the issue was also raised and discussed between some officers and some councillors and yet no one ever asked me, the Mayor, what I thought about it.

“I should have been informed about these discussions.”

Cllr Knight-McQuillan said it was probably not financially feasible to run four Mayor’s Shows as there would have to be a show in each of the legacy areas to ensure parity.

“With so many areas to cover, it would not be feasible, particularly when the schedule for the Mayor is so full already.

“Had I been asked,” she continued, “I would have suggested that Ballymoney could create another type of signature show which would be run at the same time of year which they could then take ownership of and invite the Mayor to. It could be an exclusive event for the town.”

A spokesperson for CC&G Council said: “There are no planned mayor’s shows in the borough at this time.”