Write a commentNewry is to lose it’s city status on a “technicality” after civil servants at Stormont investigating the legal status of the documents signed in May 2002 found an anomaly. They then contacted senior politicians at Westminster who contacted the royal office at Buckingham Palace who on further investigation have declared the documents null and void.
Newry was one of several towns from the north who bid for City status in 2002 as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations and Newry and Lisburn were declared the winners despite strong competition from Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Coleraine and Craigavon.
The Letters Patent document marking the granting of city status was endorsed by the Great Seal of the Queen’s family at a ceremony in Hillsborough Castle on the 14th of May 2002 and Newry and Mourne Vice Chairman Frank Feeley was there to receive the document.
It hasn’t been revealed what the technicality is but Graeme Harris from the British Association of Royally (approved) City Status in a statement commented “I know it may seem absurd that a minor technicality discovered twelve years after an event can declare the said event void, but the Windsor Office Overseeing Facility takes these errors most seriously and that leaves only one option really and that’s to declare the process null and void”
The BARCS representative continued “Newry town will be able, in the future to bid for City status again but each bid will be judged on their own merits at that particular time and unfortunately there is no guarantee that a second bid will be successful”
Although the reason for the decision hasn’t been officially declared Newry.ie has learned that the small print in a City Charters document dating 1826 states that the documents must be signed and sealed in the presence of at least two ceremonial dogs from the royal household. (It was thought that this was originally intended to sniff out known rebels at the time masquerading as gentlemen in authority who would have used the endorsement to unstabilise the Royal Family. In recent times two of the Queen’s Corgis were used to fulfil the role!)
A witness to the 2002 signing told us that Lisburn's status granting passed without incident but unfortunately when Newry’s turn on the 12th of May came one of the Corgis became "quite distressed" and had been taken out on a “comfort break’ just before the final seal was added and she believes that this is the (albeit ludicrous) reason for the decision.
Local Newry councillors are thought to be barking mad at the decision but no one was available for comment today.
