Picture gallery: City status

Years of work have gone into the successful campaigns of Lisburn and Newry to gain city status. These photographs show some of their efforts and feature images from the towns.

Newry encouraged citizens of all ages to campaign

The secretary of state visited all competing towns

Newry gave presentations across Northern Ireland

There has been much investment in Newry

Lisburn mayor Jim Dillon has begun celebrating

Mr Dillon said Lisburn was "no mere suburb of Belfast"

New Lisburn council offices have been opened at the Lagan

A concert was held during the Lisburn campaign

Lisburn is the second largest local authority in NI