Causeway Coast & Glens alderman queries omission of Declaration of Independence event from Council tourism list
A Causeway Coast Glens councillor has questioned why plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence in the Borough have not appeared on a list of planned tourism events for next year.
The 2026/27 programme of council-led tourism events was presented to members of December’s Leisure and Development Committee for approval, within estimated maximum budget of £626,693.
The events scheduled include North West 200 race week, Lammas Fair, summer fireworks evenings in both Portstewart and Portrush, and Halloween events on Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady and Ballycastle.
However, DUP Alderman Aaron Callan said the council is making plans to hold events for 250th anniversary of the USA’s signing of the Declaration of Independence next year and noted that the event was not part of the schedule.
“I know it went through council a few months ago now, the Chief Executive was supposed to be working on it and coming back with a proposal around the USA 250 for next year.
“There’s supposed to be in an event around that, that’s not included in the plan.
“I was made aware that that’s going to be something the events team were going to take the lead on so is that discussed, planned, thought about at all? Because I know the Chief Executive has intimated to me that that’s being worked on.”
A council officer said said both the USA 250 and Armed Forces Day events were absent from the report as the budget for Armed Forces Day sits within Council’s Corporate Services department.
They clarified: “The Tourism Event Team are supporting that and are doing a lot of the event delivery or Armed Forces Day.
“Equally with USA 250, that’s sitting with Corporate Services and again we will be assisting with the delivery of that.
“However the detail, in terms of what’s being proposed [and] what form that’s likely going to take, that’s not in this report because we’ve not been charged with directly leading on that but we will be assisting.”