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Dame Mary Peters honoured with the Freedom of Belfast

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Belfast City Council has voted to honour veteran Olympic gold medallist Dame Mary Peters with the freedom of the city.

At a meeting of the full council on Thursday evening councillors voted unanimously to support the motion that called to honour Dame Mary’s who took gold in the women’s pentathlon at the 1972 Moscow Olympics.

The motion read: “Over the past 40 years she has served as an ambassador for Belfast across the world and has been tireless in her efforts to promote sport and the benefits it brings to young people,.”

“Accordingly, in the recognition of this service, the council agrees that Dame Mary Peters is hereby elected and admitted as a Freeman of the City of Belfast.”

SDLP councillor Pat McCarthy proposed the motion and said he felt it was about 40 years overdue.

“It is the highest honour a city can give and it is given very sparingly,” he said.

It is the first time the honour has been awarded to an individual in more than 35 years since poet John Hewitt in 1983.

Previous recipients of the honour include the merchant navy and former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In September, Flybe named one of their aircraft after her to mark the 40th anniversary of her gold medal victory in the 1972 Games.


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