Fr. Kevin Mullan, based at Drumquin outside Omagh, said while neither he or Rev. Armstrong asked for the Freedom of the Borough, when they heard about it they were honoured.

"If it had gone through it would have been momentous. The fact that some people felt this was untimely is a little disappointing," he said.

"It was an opportunity to heal a wound that had been there, a wound that had been causing hurt, particularly to David and his family."
Fr. Mullan said he believed Rev. Armstrong became "an exile in his own land".

"I think this has reinforced that," he said.

"Northern Ireland, I hope, is a place where we try to find the exiles and bring them back and I think what happened isn't just quite in touch with where Northern Ireland in general wants to go."

He added: "I hope they (the Unionist councillors) will think it over and revisit it."

Pressing issues

However, UUC Colr. Leslie Cubitt said there are "far more pressing issues" in the Limavady area that need Council's attention.
"200 people lost their jobs at Seagate, people are losing their houses, electricity is increasing, fuel prices are increasing," he said.

"These are the issues we should be concentrating on; the future not the past."

DUP councillor George Robinson said he had nothing against either of the gentlemen, but said the motion was "very selective when we know that other clergy from both sides of the political divide have, over the years of the Troubles, done sterling work in administering support and comfort to lots of parishioners from terrorist attacks - Droppin' Well, Greysteel, Roemill Road and various other atrocities, and indeed in their daily normal pastoral work."

The Assemblyman pointed out that if the list of potential candidates for such an honour was to be widened to include, for example, emergency service personnel, "where does the list end?"

Limavady Sinn Fein Mayor Brenda Chivers said after the vote, "It's very sad. Obviously Limavady hasn't moved on as much as we thought."