Royal Hillsborough is crowned 'Best Kept Large Village'

The village impressed the judges with its excellent general appearance and the apparent sense of residents’ pride in their historic village.

The Awards, organised by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council (NIAC) and sponsored by George Best Belfast City Airport, took place on Tuesday October 18 at the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Offices, where over 100 representatives from towns and villages across the Province congregated for the ceremony.

Congratulating Royal Hillsborough on their award, President of NIAC, Doreen Muskett, MBE said: “It is a very beautiful village and most attractive and welcoming to visitors. While its historic connection helps, this is considerably enhanced by the hard work of volunteers, the Council and local businesses.”

Stephen Patton, Human Resources and CR Manager at George Best Belfast City Airport said: “As a long-standing supporter of the Best Kept Awards, we have had the privilege of witnessing some outstanding efforts over the years towards building brighter, better, and more sustainable communities.

“This year is no exception and we have been blown away by the calibre of entries and the level of civic pride shown throughout Northern Ireland.

“These awards show there are clearly a lot of like-minded individuals in the province and it is wonderful to be able to come together and celebrate the fantastic work that has been carried out in each city, town, village, and housing area.

“Congratulations to all the worthy winners."