After a close vote by councillors – eight for, six against and one abstention – Ross Parkhill, Tim Ferris and John Cartwright, the organisers of the event, can now proceed with their plans for the Stendhal Festival on August 15-17 at Ballymully Cottage Estate.

The licence was granted subject to several conditions including noise levels.

Event director, Ross Parkhill said concessions would be made for those opposed to Sabbath day entertainment.

He said: " It was hard work getting to this stage, but we are 100% ready to go now, and we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to put Limavady on the musical map."

The "boutique" festival is set to feature the Delorentos, from Dublin, the Grammy-nominated rhythm and blues outfit Kent DuChane and the Hovercraft Pirates. A number of local artists are also billed.

The organisers hope that up to 6,000 paying customers will attend the event which they believe will be "fantastic."

Limavady itself is no stranger to famous musical offerings, as the town is the origin for perhaps the most famous Irish song ever written, 'Danny Boy'.

Mr. Parkhill said: "We believe that Stendhal Festival can really do some good for our town, which is about to face major job losses in the industrial sector. If we can bring revenue to the Roe Valley, surely that is a good thing, no matter what day of the week it falls on.

"In saying that, we respect people's individual views on the religious connotations of having entertainment on a Sunday, so we have agreed that no amplified music will be played until 1pm on Sunday the 17th, so that we won't disrupt nearby Church services."

Entertainment director of Stendhal, Tim Ferris believes the broad range of acts on show will become a trademark of Stendhal Festival, and make it stand out from every other event in The North.

He said: “We have all genres of music, from rock to opera, folk to dance, we have almost all our bases covered when it comes to the music, but we hope that while people really enjoy a great line up of bands, that they go away talking about the wee extras that will make the festival truly 'boutique'.

Test the waters

Speaking before voting in favour of the event, SDLP Alderman Gerry Mullan said: "The restrictions are stringent. I don't know how anyone could do this with all the restrictions. The costs are bound to be extravagant. Good luck to them."

Sinn Fein Colr. Anne Brolly said she had to vote in favour of the festival "in the interests of equality."

DUP Ald. George Robinson proposed holding the festival for just one day "to test the waters".

UUC Colr. Boyd Douglas congratulated the organisers for trying to inject cash into the local economy, but accused them of ignoring the objectors.

Colr. Douglas also spurned accusations by Sinn Fein Colr.