The actor Liam Neeson has turned down the freedom of his Northern Ireland home town, saying the controversy the offer had generated between Catholics and Protestants there made it "inappropriate" to accept the honour.
Mr Neeson, a Catholic, said in a statement that although he was proud of his association with the town of Ballymena, Co Antrim, and appreciated the gesture by the City Council to offer him the freedom of the city, "it would be inappropriate for me to accept in view of the stated opposition of some members (of the city council) and the resultant controversy."
The freedom of his home town, the highest local honour, was offered to the 48-year-old actor earlier this month.
Ballymeena is also the home town of the Rev Ian Paisley, whose Democratic Unionist Party accused Mr Neeson of denigrating the town in an interview he gave to an American political magazine, George.
Mr Neeson was quoted as saying that as a Catholic growing up in the mainly Protestant town he felt "second class".
He described the annual July 12th parade as celebrating victory "in some bloody obscure war where some bloody Catholic king was defeated by some bloody Dutch king who was Protestant."
Mr Neeson, who played the role of Michael Collins in the film of the same name, said in the statement, which was issued by his Los Angeles publicist, Mr Alan Nierob, that he remained very proud of his upbringing in, and association with, Ballymeena.
"I regard the enduring support which I have received over the years from all sections of the community in Ballymeena as being more than sufficient recognition for any success which I may have achieved as an actor," he added.