Man behind Athlone green city plan is awarded Freedom of City of London

The man behind the plan to turn Athlone into a major sustainable green city has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London.

Roscommon native Sean Mulryan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ballymore, was recently granted the award, one of the city’s oldest and most prestigious honours.

The award recognises Sean’s transformative contribution to London’s urban landscape over the past four decades, particularly through large-scale regeneration projects that blend architecture, culture, and community. Ballymore’s projects have shaped the city, creating vibrant neighbourhoods and spaces that bring people together.

The ceremony took place at the Guildhall in London on Thursday, presided over by Laura Dobbie Miller, Clerk of the Chamberlain’s Court of the City of London Corporation. Sean was nominated by leading figures in the city, including Vince Dignam, Business Performance & Transport Group Manager and a liveryman and freeman of the City, and Jacqui O’Donovan, OBE – entrepreneur, sustainability advocate, and former PwC Private Businesswoman of the Year.

Reflecting on the honour, Sean said: "I am truly humbled to receive the Freedom of the City of London. It’s a privilege to have played a role in shaping this remarkable city over the past 40 years, and I share this recognition with all of the talented colleagues and partners who help bring our visions to life ."

The Freedom of the City of London is an ancient tradition dating back to the 13th century. Today, it is granted to individuals in recognition of their notable contributions to public life and the city itself – a fitting acknowledgment of Sean’s enduring impact on London.

It is the latest in a series of accolades for Sean who in 2023 won the Outstanding Contribution to Business Award at the Kildare Business Awards, as well as the Ireland-U.S. Gaelic Heritage Award in New York in 2019. Sean is also a past recipient of the Property Developer of the Year Evening Standard Business Award.

Over 40 years, Sean Mulryan’s leadership has guided Ballymore from its origins as a family business to becoming an international developer delivering more than 20,000 homes in the UK and 15,000 in Ireland, alongside over 330,000 sq m of commercial space in the past decade alone.

His foresight in acquiring Thames-side land reshaped London’s skyline, creating major new neighbourhoods including Embassy Gardens at Nine Elms on London’s south bank – home to the US Embassy and the world-famous Sky Pool – and London City Island at Bow Creek (near Canning Town), where Ballymore delivered the Mulryan Centre for Dance for English National Ballet.

More recently, Ballymore and Places for London - the commercial property arm of Transport for London (TfL) –secured outline planning permission for the redevelopment of Edgware Town Centre from the London Borough of Barnet (LBB).

The approved plans will deliver 3,365 new homes, including 1,150 affordable homes and 463 student accommodation spaces, and 460,000ft2 of commercial and leisure space.

The project will involve a estimated £1.7 billion investment, creating more 1,400 full-time jobs and generating £80 million in gross value added for the local economy.

The Athlone city plan is for a modern, sustainable city of between 50,000 and 100,000 people by 2040.