Statement by TUV Alderman Sharon McKillop:
“At tonight’s AGM of the Bushmills Traders’ Association and Festival Planning Committee I will be standing down as chairperson after four years in the post.
“A key objective of the group was to establish an annual festival in Bushmills which celebrated local culture, heritage and produce. I am pleased that we succeeded in establishing the successful Bushmills Salmon and Whiskey Festival which is now a fixture in the local calendar. This has been a most rewarding experience and I have particularly enjoyed working closely with local traders, community groups, schools and individuals in in the local area. Gary Stewart of Distillers Arms, David Dunlop of Ballyness Caravan Park, Niall Mehaffey, The Bushmills Distillery, Art Ward, the National Trust, Diane McKay, Mary Anderson and Jamie Laverty are just a few of the people and organisations I have had the privilege of working with in this role.
“I am sure that the Bushmills Salmon and Whiskey Festival will continue to go on to even greater success and it will always be a source of personal satisfaction that I played a role alongside many others in seeing it established.
“With 2016 having been designated as the Year of Food in Northern Ireland I believe that there is an opportunity to capitalise on the Festival more than ever before and put Bushmills firmly on the map.
“I will be using my position on the council to ensure that local government seizes the opportunity to work with Tourism Northern Ireland to develop the Year of Food initiative in conjunction with the 2016 festival in Bushmills.”