Boy band Westlife will receive the Freedom of the Borough award at Sligo Town Hall tomorrow night in a ceremony organised by Sligo Corporation.
The band, which is managed by Ronan Keating of Boyzone and promoter Louis Walsh, is being honoured because three members - Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Mark Feehily - are from Sligo town. The idea was put forward at a recent council meeting by the mayor, Cllr Rosaleen O'Grady.
Acting town clerk Mr John O'Dwyer said the three local members of the band were previously part of a local group known as IOU. "It changed because there was some emerging band with the same name in the United States, and that wouldn't do." The honours carry no special permissions, however, unlike the freedom of Dublin recently conferred on members of U2, who could graze sheep in St Stephen's Green as part of their "freedom".
Mr O'Dwyer added that the band members had been notified of the honour and had confirmed they would attend. The last person to be awarded such an honour was cyclist Mark Scanlon, also a local.