UNIONIST MEMBERS of Limavady Borough Council have refused to explain why they blocked an attempt to confer the freedom of the borough on former Presbyterian minister Rev David Armstrong, who was forced to leave the Derry town almost 25 years ago after he'd shaken hands with a Catholic priest.
Rev Armstrong's enforced departure from Limavady came after he entered the Christ The King church, which was across the road from First Limavady Presbyterian church, on Christmas Day 1984 to shake hands with Fr Kevin Mullan, who was celebrating Mass.
The gesture, which took place after the church had been repaired following a loyalist paramilitary bomb attack, was reported nationally and internationally at the time, as was Rev Armstrong's departure from the town with his wife June and their children.
He'd earlier sympathised with the Catholic congregation after the bomb attack on their church.
At a council meeting on Monday night, a motion proposed by SDLP Councillor Michael Coyle to confer the freedom of the borough on Rev Armstrong and Fr Mullan in a joint ceremony, was passed by eight votes for to six against, but it failed because such a motion requires a two-thirds majority.
All six Unionist councillors voted against the motion, but none of them spoke on the motion and they refused to speak to reporters after the meeting - except to say that they would explain their reasons in a statement.
Mr Coyle said that no one had ever had the honour conferred on them and he said that the unionist councillors had "missed a wonderful opportunity to recognise the remarkable contribution made by the two clergymen" during a particularly dark period of Northern Ireland's history.
"I am convinced their attitude is not shared by the majority of the unionist community in the borough"
He added: "This vote shows that while some people have advanced in terms of their attitudes over the last 25 years, a lot of work still has to be done", he said.
Sinn Féin councillor Anne Brolly said that the unionist councillors were "out of step with their electorate" and said that the vote reflected badly on the borough.
"Obviously it takes time to change mindsets, but some are slower to become more enlightened than others," she said.
Meanwhile, Fr Kevin Mullan, who is now in the parish of Drumquin near Omagh and who is a close friend of the Armstrong family, said that the motion was "an opportunity to heal an ongoing sore". He added that Rev Ian Paisley had recently met Rev Armstrong and had held out the hand of friendship to him.
"David became an exile in his own land and given what happened at the council meeting, he will be heartbroken. This has reopened unhappy memories for both of us. All the churches are trying to understand one another and we will continue to make that long journey in terms of healing and reconciliation", he said.
Rev Donald Patton, the Presbyterian moderator, suggested the timing of the gesture was "not quite right" and said more work to bring Protestant and Catholic communities together was needed.
"I think the issue shows that we do have a lot of work to do to build understanding and trust and respect across our community," he said.
Rev Armstrong is now a Church of Ireland minister in Carrigaline in Cork. When contacted by The Irish Timesyesterday, he declined to comment.