Almost 80 people in Northern Ireland, including some well-known faces, have been recognised for their achievements in the New Year Honours list.The most prestigious award is a knighthood for the jockey AP McCoy.Boxer Carl Frampton receives an MBE for services to his sport, while rally champion Paddy Hopkirk is given the same honour for his motorsport and charity work.Actor James Nesbitt gets an OBE for services to drama and the community.Charity workers, police officers, civil servants, teachers and business people are also among the recipients. Anthony Peter McCoy, better known as AP or Tony, retired earlier this year after a long and glittering career that saw him become the most successful jump jockey of all time.The County Antrim native rode more than 4,300 winners and was crowned champion jockey 20 times.He described his knighthood as a huge honour and said he will use his new title sparingly and only among his friends."They came around to the conclusion that Sir Anthony sounded the best," he said."
It's only my close friends who I'm going to make call me Sir Anthony."I think everybody else can call me Tony or AP or whatever they like."He said he thought he was the victim of a practical joke when he first received news of his knighthood."I did think it was prank for a moment or two," the Moneyglass man said."I thought it was maybe one of my former colleagues playing one on me. I read the email I got a few times before I responded, just to make sure I wasn't being pranked."He added: "I feel really proud that I've been able to do it for horse racing, because horse racing is an amazing game and the only reason that I'm lucky enough to receive such an honour." In addition to his acting career, James Nesbitt is chancellor of Ulster University and a patron of the WAVE Trauma Centre in Belfast, which supports victims of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.Other OBE recipients include Anne Marie Connolly, the chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board and Anne O'Reilly, the former manager of the Women's Aid Federation.Carl 'The Jackal' Frampton, a 28-year-old world champion boxer from Belfast
, began his career in the Tiger's Bay area of his native city.He is the current International Boxing Federation (IBF) world super bantam weight champion.Paddy Hopkirk is one of Northern Ireland's best known sportsmen, having raced to victory in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.His success at the race in an iconic red Mini Cooper was considered one of the most significant events in British motorsport history.That, along with his charitable work with the motor skills charity Skidz have earned him his accolade in the honours list. Joining Frampton and Hopkirk on the MBE list is veteran journalist and broadcaster Anne Hailes, who was honoured for her services to journalism, broadcasting and the community in Northern Ireland, and Mary Cameron, chair of the Ulster-Scots Community Network.The full list of Northern Ireland recipients is below: New Years Honours List THE former head of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, a Paralympian swimmer and Northern Ireland football manager Michael O'Neill have had their achievements recognised in the New Year's Honours list.
More than 100 people from the north are named on this years's list. They include Sue McAllister, who in 2012 was appointed director general of the Prison Service, the first woman to hold the most senior position within a prison service in the UK. In November 2015, an inspection report was highly critical of prison leadership, finding that Maghaberry was the most dangerous prison ever inspected. She receives the Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB). Co Down swimmer Bethany Firth, who won three swimming gold medals at the Rio Paralympics, has been recognised with the MBE. Bethany also took a silver in Brazil to make her the most successful member of the UK team, after securing another gold medal four years ago in London when she represented Ireland. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill who has been made an MBE in the list for his sporting achievements. O'Neill, who guided the international team to its first ever European Championships in the summer, was honoured for services to football and the community
Also receiving an MBE is Derry's Sandra Biddle, director of the Foyle School of Speech and Drama. There is one knighthood, for Prof John McCanny from Queen's University Belfast. The full list is as follows: Professor John Vincent McCanny, for Higher Education and Economic Development :: Order of the Bath - Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB) Sue McAllister, lately Director General, Northern Ireland Prison Service Leo Columba Martin O'Reilly, Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities :: Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Derek Andrew McClure, for mental healthcare and people with learning disabilities Gerard McGinn, Chairman Strategic Investment Board :: Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) Lynda Ann Bonner, Founder, National Nursing and Midwifery Nursing Network Sarah Browne, Assistant Director, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Dr Trevor Arthur Stanley Buchanan, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast
Anne Marie Duffy, lately director of qualifications, CCEA Samuel Bernard Goldblatt, services to business and the community Barry Martyn Lowry, Director, IS Shared Services and Strategy, NI Executive Angela McLernon, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Practice and Education for Nurses and Midwives Anthony Christopher O'Neill, services to the Agri-Food Sector Professor Sally Wheeler, Head of the School of Law, Queen's University Dr William Benjamin Wilson, services to the voluntary and charitable sectors :: Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) Pastor Brian Cameron Agnew, voluntary service to the community John Raymond Armstrong, Managing Director, Armstrong Medical Limited Sandra Biddle, director, Foyle School of Speech and Drama in Derry Alex Bunting, for services to the support of victims and survivors Helen Cole, Principal, Ballykelly Primary School Stella Cummings, Northern Ireland Vice President, British Red Cross
Basil Dalton, North West Regional College Sister Rose Devlin, for services to improving community relations in schools Simon Thomas Alexander Dougan, managing director, The Yellow Door Ltd Edward George Elliott, for voluntary service to the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation and Association Bethany Charlotte Firth, for services to swimming Wanda Annette Rowan-Hamilton , for services to older people Robert Welby Henry, for services to medicine and horse racing Isabella Bell Hogg, chair, Strabane and District Women Together Michael Holden, chairman, Trip-ability, Belfast Albert Maurice Leathem, for services to the Royal British Legion Lily Lewis, Programme Manager, HM Revenue and Customs Kenneth Robert Logan, Health and Safety Executive Elvira Jean Lowe, for voluntary service to cancer sufferers Margaret Ruth Mayne, board of governors, Banbridge High School Michael Patrick McAlister, head of curriculum and business development, South West College
Kathleen May McBride, for services to sport and community William John McCann, managing director, Willowbrook Foods Limited Elma Leiper McCausland, for services to Scottish country dancing William Graham McCrory, detective superintendent, PSNI Brenda Morgan, partnership manager, British Airways David Hugh Neill, emergency co-ordination officer, Belfast City Council Avril Esmond Sandra Nicholl, for services to disabled people Robert Hamilton Northridge, for services to rowing Michael Andrew Martin O'Neill, manager, Northern Ireland Football Team Thomas Neville Orr, governor, Strabane Academy Paula Ann Philpott, head of learning academy, South Eastern Regional College Mervyn Quigg, for services to The Boys' Brigade :: Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) Florence Evangeline Baxter, for services to young people, performing arts and the community Dr Lavinia Boyce, for services to the community Valerie Brown, for services to the community
Aidan Campbell, fundraiser, Marie Curie Pauline Alice Frances Carson, for voluntary service to the Royal National Lifeboat Association Valerie Lexena Christy, for voluntary service to the community Albert Clyde, secretary, Riding for the Disabled Brenda Mary Corry, for services to the community Eveline Cousins, for services to young people Rosemary Letitia Margaret Craig, for voluntary services to young people Iris Ruby Crawford, director, South and East Tyrone Welfare Group James Ivan Davison, services to the community Jean Doak, voluntary service to the community Rosemary (Sarah Jane) Dunbar, services to charitable fundraising Samuel Robert Wesley Elliott, S.R Elliott and Sons Funeral Directors William Charles Ferguson, Probation Board William David McKee Flinn, Belfast Civic Trust James Gamble, for charitable fundraising Desmond Gordon, services to the community Violet Avril Constance Graham, charitable fundraising
Pauline Christian Grills, voluntary service to the community and sport Joan Guiller, Drop Inn Ministries Anna Christina Maud Hamilton, organ music and community Kathleen Hanlon, for community service Sydney Dorcas Henderson, services to police welfare Richard Bryan Hool, charitable service to cancer charities David Alistair Jack, services to photography Dermot Christopher Ledgard Jameson, for services to community Selwyn Johnston, for services to the community Mary Knox, voluntary services to community Matilda Maud Kyle, services to Northern Ireland Hospice Stella Laughlin, coordinator, Giving Tree Appeal Margaret Marshall, for integrated education Edith McAdams, services to community Mary Rosalind McCleary, for services to the arts and community Margaret McCullagh President, The Royal British Legion Ann Elizabeth McGarrigle, for services to mental health and bereaved Robert Arthur McGonigle, parish administrator, St Columb's Cathedral