'What an incredible honour' says 'local legend, superman and hero' Danny Quigley after Freedom of Derry honour

Humbled, emotional and tearful is how Derry man Danny Quigley felt after Derry City and Strabane Councillors voted to confer the Freedom of the City on him.
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Described by councillors as a local legend, superman and hero, the 30-year old will join the likes of John Hume and Bishop Edward Daly who have also had the honour conferred upon them.

The fitness enthusiast completed ten Ironman challenges in a row during the summer, raising over £100,000 for local health and wellbeing organisations in the process.

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Danny completed the gruelling endurance test in August in memory of his father Colm who died suddenly in March 2011, swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running 26.2 miles each day for ten days.

Danny Quigley with his family.Danny Quigley with his family.
Danny Quigley with his family.

The motion was brought before council by Sinn Féin Councillors Christopher Jackson and Sandra Duffy.

Addressing the virtual Chamber Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jackson said: “The name Danny Quigley doesn’t need any introduction. Since he began his challenge of completing ten Ironman challenges in ten consecutive days on August 20 he has caught the imagination of all of us across this city and district.

“There are only 88 people that have managed to complete that Ironman challenge over ten consecutive days so that shows how immense the challenge is.

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“On top of that we know the motivation behind this challenge was as a result of a personal loss by Danny himself so there was a real desire to do this.

“The challenge caught the imagination of this city and the most important element of it is the promotion of positive mental health. By completing the challenge Danny has raised over £100,000 for local mental health charities and created a lasting legacy where it is promoting that physical exercise is a way of combating mental health and that is something we should celebrate.”

Mayor, DUP Councillor Graham Warke said he ‘truly welcomed’ the motion adding: “What this man has achieved is so much more. He brought a city together. He brought dreams to a district.

“The money he has raised and the awareness about mental health - Danny Quigley you are a credit to everybody. You are a credit to your family and I’m glad to call you a good friend now.”

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Describing Danny Quigley as a ‘superman in the eyes of many’, Aontú Councillor Emmet Doyle added: “What I have noticed in terms of his impact on fundraising particularly around mental health, there has been an explosion of people raising money, organisations raising money to support positive mental health, all on the back of what he has done.

“People are rightly sitting in the house saying what can I do? What we can do is raise money to give those organisations the opportunity to use their expertise to help people.”

Referring to the mental health crisis in the council area, Alliance Councillor Rachael Ferguson spoke about how people were touched by Danny’s story and how he is a ‘hero for our city and district.’

“Offering Danny the Freedom of the City is just a small gesture that could show that we as a Council are indebted to Danny, his family and his team," she added.”

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UUP Alderman Ryan McCready joined the other councillors in his praise for Danny’s achievements.

He said: “I have been blown away by the activities Danny undertook and the money he has raised.

“When you consider the cause and the influence to the younger generations and to be able to continue to erode the stigma of mental health.

“People like Danny don’t come along very often and they excel and do exceptional things. It’s more than likely he has more to give and more to offer throughout his lifetime and be able to influence thousands of people more.”

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PBP Councillor Maeve O’Neill described the father of two’s achievement as ‘incredible’ commenting that he had ‘done so much to raise the spirits of this city’.

Waterside SDLP Councillor Sean Mooney said Danny was ‘a very humble but determined person’ and the physical and emotional process he had to go through to perform the challenge was ‘beyond compare’.

DUP Alderman Keith Kerrigan offered his party’s support to the motion and praise for Danny for raising awareness for mental health.

Sinn Féin Councillor Duffy, who brought the motion with Councillor Jackson, said: “The work Danny Quigley has done and the awareness he has raised around mental health has been tremendous.

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“We have a really ordinary citizen who has done an extraordinary thing and it was something this city and district really needed to lift all our moods.”

Summing up, Councillor Jackson added: "Danny really did bring people together and that’s testament to the man himself and the scale of the task he achieved.”

After the motion passed unanimously, Danny said: “What an incredible honour.

“​​I’ll not lie. This is the most excited I’ve been in a long time. The Freedom of the City award isn’t even something I’d ever dreamed of.”