Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson arrived back in Ballymena to a jubilant welcome as he accepted the freedom of his home town.

The star of Schindler's List and Taken was welcomed by cheers from a large crowd of well-wishers as he arrived at the reception in the Northern Ireland town.

"It is great to be back," he said.

This wasthe second time Neeson had been offered the freedom of the borough - he refused the County Antrim council's recognition in 2000 amid controversy over alleged derogatory remarks.

He was quoted as saying in a US magazine that he felt "second class" as a Catholic growing up in the mainly Protestant town and felt he had to stay indoors during the loyalist July 12 commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne.

But after the ceremony he said: "I'm aware of the work the borough's been doing in the past few years ... coming out of the darkness as we all have, and hopefully left all that behind us.

"These are new days, new times and I'm just privileged to receive this."

Only three people have been awarded the freedom of Ballymena: Ian Paisley, Dr Syd Millar and Sandy Spence.

Neeson started his career in Belfast's Lyric Theatre and later joined the Abbey Theatre in Dublin before moving to London, then Hollywood.

He was spotted by film director John Boorman while at the Abbey, subsequently appearing in Boorman's film Excalibur in 1981.

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Liam Neeson Awarded Freedom Of Home Town