IT is official - Strabane is now a place we can all be proud to live in.
That was the view of the judges from Corporation Ireland's All- Island Pride of Place Awards when they visited the area earlier this year.
But what do some of the town's best known faces think? This week the Strabane Chronicle spoke to some of the town's own celebrities to gauge their reaction to Strabane's most recent accolade.
Hugo Duncan: "What makes Strabane for me is the people. They are so friendly and homely and in my experience have always made people from the outside very welcome. I've known hundreds of performers come to Strabane over the years and they always comment on just how pleasant the people are.
"The location of the town is a fantastic asset too. It's the gateway to Donegal and hundreds travel through it every day without actually realising the benefit of living here. I grew up in Townsend Street many years ago and we had very little but the neighbourly friendship was great. And I think that has been passed on down through the generations and that neighbourliness and comradeship remains today.
"Another thing Strabane doesn't get enough credit for is the amount of talent it has produced. This area pioneered the entire showband scene which created so much employment and industry all over Ireland for many years and that was due largely to bands like the Clipper Carlton. When you add in people like Paul Brady and artist Phelim Egan, Strabane has produced a lot of top class talent.
"The town for me is the be all and end all and I'm delighted that it's starting to get a bit of recognition after all these years," he said.
Well known charity fundraiser and wacky inventor Pat Gillespie has spent almost every day of his 90+ years in Strabane and he says he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think it's a great town with great people. When it comes to charity, the people of Strabane have always been very generous. It is a great wee town and I wouldn't change it for the world," said Pat.
Upcoming musician David Oliver said, "Through the bombings and shootings, through the 1987 flood, nothing has broken the spirit of the people here and they have always maintained their dignity and friendliness. The attitude of the Strabane people, in that they have always kept their chins up, even when they were being slated by the press, is what makes it that little bit different for me. I've heard the town being called Strabanistan over the years but it has come on in leaps and bounds. It's the small things that make Strabane special for me.
While not a native of Strabane, Parish Priest Fr Declan Boland has been welcomed into the fold as one of our own. "For me it's the warmth, spontaneity and natural goodness of the people who make Strabane a special place. Their natural openness and tremendous sense of community is very rare.
"Another thing about Strabane is the huge amount of young people and I see a lot of potential there. They are very easy to chat to and I've no doubt they will be great assets to the town in years to come."
"With regards to the physical side of the town, we have a lot to be proud of, with buildings such as our church here at Barrack Street, the Grotto, the Alley Theatre and Holy Cross College. Another great asset that the town has to be proud of is Sigersons Gaelic Club and the wonderful facilities at the Ballycolman.
"I'm from Moville originally and our priest always maintained that Tyrone people were the easiest of the lot to get on with and I have seen nothing to make me doubt that. I'm in my ninth year in Strabane now and I have seen great improvements in that time and hopefully the town can continue to grow and prosper," said Fr Boland.
