Liam Neeson is greeted with rapturous applause as he is welcomed back to his hometown in Northern Ireland.

Arriving in Ballymena where he first took to the stage, Neeson was in town to receive their highest award - the Freedom of the Borough.

Oscar-nominated for his lead role in Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List', Neeson expressed his gratitude for the hometown honour.

SOUNDBITE: Liam Neeson, saying:

"To receive this extraordinary Academy Award- oops, sorry - wrong ceremony. To receive the Freedom of the Borough is especially significant to me because so many of my family and my old friends are here."

The actor later said he was still "99.9% Ballymena " in his dedication to hard work.

The former forklift truck operator started his acting career performing in local pantomimes before achieving global stardom in such films as 'Batman Begins' and 'Star Wars - Episode 1'