in the Large Urban Centre category of the 2007 National
Tidy Town Awards. Locally there was a minor furore as all flags of competing
nations were displayed in prominent areas of the town, with some difficulty
encountered when locals discovered the controversial Union Jack flag
hanging from a pole adjacent to the library and Paddy Delap's newsagent. The
flag is still upsetting to many people angered by continuing British rule in Northern
Ireland and as such led to an intensely heated debate on local radio
station Highland Radio on the day the judges were in town. The flag
was first mounted the previous day (7 August) and had to be taken down when
some concerns were raised about its safety on a busy Thursday night. It was
remounted the following day. Nevertheless the town won gold in the competition.
Social
The town is a popular nightlife location for the local
catchment area and, indeed, for the rest of Ulster - especially at
the weekends and particularly for visitors from nearby Derry City. The Main
Street, originally the retail centre of the town, has become a centre for
popular night clubs and pubs, boosted by the remnants of its old shopping
district. There are several nightclubs in the area including Milan
Nightclub which often hosts international tours and DJs and The
Pulse who offer live bands regularly
