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26 Mar 2026
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26 Mar 2026
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Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan, and Pat Mulvenna, Director Leisure & Development, pictured alongside Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Rt Hon Hilary Benn.
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan has welcomed the Secretary of State for NI to Council’s Civic Headquarters Cloonavin.
The visit took place on Thursday, April 10 as part of a series of visits to the Borough, earlier in the day the Secretary of State, Rt Hon Hilary Benn was able to see firsthand recent investment in the Borough including the newly opened Dunluce Lodge.
His next stop was Royal Portrush Golf Club where he met with David Jackson Council’s Chief Executive to view preparations for the 153rd Open championships and celebrate the recent launch of the R&A’s “The Road to the Open” as excitement builds for the July golfing tournament.
The Mayor said: “I was pleased to welcome The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP to our Civic Headquarters today to showcase both current successful and future investment, while also discussing the business issues relevant to our Council area.
“As our departments continue to work with stakeholders across our towns and villages to promote the ‘SHOP EAT ENJOY LOCAL’ message, it’s important to have an opportunity to have conversations about how we can sustain a healthy environment for our local town centres and our residents and visitors.”
Following the welcome from the Mayor, the Secretary of State joined discussions with local representatives from business organisations as part of a round table on issues affecting retail sector, which was facilitated by Retail NI.
In the afternoon a visit to Ballymoney, High Street of the Year 2024 was arranged. During the walkabout with Retail NI the Secretary of State was shown the recently completed environmental improvement scheme in High Street which has made the town more welcoming for everyone and rounded off what was a packed visit to the Borough.
The Secretary of State also took time to engage with businesses on the ground to listen to their feedback and celebrate the town’s recent success.
You can read more about what Council’s Prosperity and Place team at Causeway Coast and Glens
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