2013 has been a tremendous year for our city. As Mayor it has been a personal honour to represent the city during our year as the UK City of Culture and a phenomenal experience for me and my wife, Bronagh.
Mayor Martin Reilly.
I have enjoyed every minute of the City of Culture year and hugely grateful to have had the opportunity to attend so many fantastic events and be part of the public engagement and year of celebration.
During my Mayoral year, I have met with so many interesting people and attended hundreds of events and functions across the Council area and beyond. It has been fantastic, I am really enjoying meeting with people and talking to them about their work, their communities and their hopes and aspirations for the future.
I have worked closely with my Council colleagues, elected members, officers and staff, as well as the Culture Company, Ilex and other stakeholders to showcase the city and its offering to ensure Derry and the North West region continues to be put on the cultural map.
The City of Culture title has brought a new air of confidence and pride to the people of this city, filling us with a great sense of achievement and giving us all new hope for the future.
A tremendous amount of work and effort has gone into making 2013 the huge success that it is and I would like to acknowledge the role everyone has played in contributing to that success.
2013 has been a fantastic year in terms of our city stepping up a gear as the City of Culture and while the economy in general has faced a lot of difficulties and there are more people than ever who are struggling to find work, feed their families and pay their bills, we remain hopeful that the legacy of 2013 will see a transformation and bring about a sea change for our communities.
I would like to assure the public that I will continue to work alongside my colleagues to ensure we all reap the benefits of 2013 and beyond.
2013 brought about new investment and a sense of achievement and confidence for the future. Over £100m has been invested in capital infrastructure in the run up to the City of Culture year with the transformation of Ebrington, the restoration of the Guildhall and the new lighting strategy and the recent investment to regenerate the Brandywell Stadium to name but a few.
There are plans afoot for a new multi-purpose arena at St Columb’s Park and, following the increased demand for accommodation, there are two planning applications for new city centre hotels. One of the most exciting legacy plans is the new national storytelling centre and maritime museum planned for 2016.
While there were many highlights over the year, my personal favourite was Music City Day when I had the privilege of viewing the city from a height when I took to the skies at dawn in a Hot Air Balloon.
It was a truly thrilling experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the city at its best and to be part of the huge Music City celebration that saw thousands of musicians taking to the streets and performing.
A hugely important factor of the year has been the participation of so many diverse citizens from all walks of life and all parts of the city coming together to celebrate culture and heritage and to enjoy the city’s offering.
I have been overwhelmed by the number of volunteers who have given up their time to make all of these events work so successfully, their input has been huge.
Key events such as the Return of Colmcille Pageant, the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, Lumiere and the Turner Prize have been hugely successful in engaging with the public, attracting visitors and securing international profile.
The Culture year has shown us that we have the ability to host major events and showcase our local talents and tell our new story to the world.
A hugely important factor of the year has been the participation of people from across the divides, with communities coming together to celebrate culture and heritage and to enjoy the city’s offering.
I have been overwhelmed by the number of volunteers who have given up their time to make all of these events work so successfully, their input has been huge.
The City of Culture year provided us with the mechanisms to build on the work already taking place across the city.
Around 60 per cent of the events held over the year already existed in some form but we were able to work with the organisers to expand and develop their ideas and programmes and showcase them to a new and wider audience.
I am delighted that the theme of next year’s legacy programme is Music and there are exciting plans are afoot to continue with Music City Day and the Music Promise programme that will see a continued focus on music excellence and showcasing local talent.
I am also delighted that Council has secured the Beach Boys as one of the international bands to perform as part of our Clipper Race maritime festival in June next year.
I am looking forward to another successful year ahead as we prepare to welcome the return of the Clipper Round the World Race in June, Other Voices in February and the Walled City Marathon in June and the Walled City Tattoo in August, as well as the continued success of our annual events including St Patrick’s Day Spring Carnival, the City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival and the Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival.
I am delighted that the many festivals, events and celebrations to celebrate our diverse culture and heritage will continue during 2014.
Key to their success will be the participation and support of the public to ensure we can successfully deliver on our legacy promise.
One of the real and lasting legacies of 2013 is the changing way visitors to our city view Derry~Londonderry as a destination worth coming to see, a place where there is a warm welcome and a new landscape and story to tell.
Finally, I would like to extend my best wishes to all of you and wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. I am looking forward to the Council’s 2014 Legacy Celebration event in mid-January which will start another year of celebration.
Mayor Cllr Martin Reilly
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