Dairy farmer among Northern Ireland New Year Honours recipients - 2024 list in full

Adam Watson, from Coleraine, receives a BEM for services to Mental Health in the Farming Community in Northern Ireland.

Fisheries Officer for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Captain Thomas Eccles, is awarded a MBE for services to Fisheries, Environment and to Maritime Safety.

Robin Mercer, the Managing Director of Hillmount Garden Centre, has received a BEM for services to Business and to the Economy in Northern Ireland.

Others mentioned in the New Year Honours List include Adrian Morrow, an estate manager at Glenarm Castle and Chief Executive of the Irish Grouse Conservation Trust. Mr Morrow has been honoured with a BEM for voluntary services to Habitat Conservation and to the community in County Antrim.

A Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) has been awarded to Helen Keys, entrepreneur, Queen’s University’s Students’ Union. This award is for services to Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Farming.

Diane Ruddock, meanwhile, receives an OBE for services to the Environment, to Heritage and to the community in Northern Ireland.

What are honours?

Honours are given to people from all walks of life and all sections of society who have made a difference to their community. There are several different types of award, each one recognising a different type of contribution.

Honours lists are published twice a year, at New Year and in mid-June on The King's official birthday.

Anyone can receive an award if they reach the required standard of merit or service.

Types of honours and award

Companions of Honour

The Companions of Honour is awarded for a major, influencing contribution to a particular field over a long period of time. The Order is given to men and women for recognised services of national importance.

Knight or Dame

Awarded for a major contribution in any field, through achievement or service to the community, usually but not only at national level. The recipient’s service and achievements will be recognised by peer groups as inspirational and significant nationally and will show a long standing commitment.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Awarded for a prominent national role of a lesser degree than that of a Knight/Damehood or a leading role at regional level. Also awarded for making a highly distinguished, innovative contribution in his or her area of activity.

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Awarded for a distinguished regional or county-wide role in any field through achievement or service to the community, this includes people whose work had made them known nationally.

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Awarded for significant achievement or exceptional service to the community. Also awarded for very local 'hands-on' service which stands out as an example to others.

British Empire Medal (BEM)

Reintroduced in 2012, the BEM rewards a sustained, local contribution or innovative, high-impact work during a short time (three to four years).

Police, Fire and Ambulance Service Medals

Awarded for exceptional service to the police, fire or ambulance service.

List of Northern Ireland New Year Honours 2024 recipients in full:

CBE – Mr David George Crozier, Lately Head, Strategic Partnerships and Engagement, Queen's University Belfast. For services to the Economy

CBE – Mr Ciaran Michael Murphy KC, Senior Counsel. For services to Criminal Justice

OBE – Mr Michael Andrew Boyd, Project Manager, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Consultant Director for Northern Ireland, Rio Ferdinand Foundation, Chair, Belfast Healthy City and lately Director, Football Development, Irish Football Association. For services to Association Football, to Sport, to Charity and to Reconciliation in Northern Ireland

OBE – Mr Frank Edward Bryan, Lately Chair, Belfast Metropolitan College. For services to Further Education and the Economy in Northern Ireland

OBE – Mr James Maurice Bullick, Finance and Compliance Director and Honorary Treasurer, Belfast Harbour Commissioners and British Ports Association. For services to the Maritime Industry

OBE – Mr Terence Anthony Donnelly, Executive Chair, Donnelly Motor Group and Director, Taxi and Bus Conversions Ltd. For services to the Motor Industry in Northern Ireland

OBE – Mr Neil Francis Guckian, Chief Executive, The Western Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Health and Social Care and to the community in Northern Ireland

OBE – Mrs Kathleen Margaret O'Hare, Board Member, Belfast Metropolitan College and Member, Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum. For services to Education in Northern Ireland

OBE – Ms Nicola Heather Anne Patterson, Lately Director of Nursing, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland

OBE – Mrs Diane Rosalie Aldworth Ruddock, For services to the Environment, to Heritage and to the community in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mr Michael Allen, Principal, Lisneal College. For services to Education

MBE – Mr Samuel James Anderson, Founder and Chief Executive, IceMOS Technology. For services to Economic Development in Northern Ireland

MBE – Ms Sarah Pamela Ballantine, For Charitable Fundraising in Northern Ireland

MBE – Dr Manav Bhavsar, Lately Clinical Lead, Critical Care. For services to Healthcare, particularly during Covid-19

MBE – Professor Anthony John Bjourson, Emeritus Professor of Genomics and lately Director, Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Ulster University. For services to Higher Education and to Research

MBE – Professor Kathryn Janice Carruthers, Professor of French Linguistics, Queen’s University Belfast. For services to Modern Languages

MBE – Mr Francis Joseph Donnelly, For services to Disability Sport and to the community in Northern Ireland

MBE – Captain Thomas David Eccles, Fisheries Officer, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. For services to Fisheries, Environment and to Maritime Safety

MBE – Mr David Edward Clarke Finlay, For services to Olympic Wrestling in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mr Raymond Ashley Fulton, For services to Music in Northern Ireland

MBE – The Reverend Canon Terence Kevin Declan Graham DL, Rector, St Bartholomew’s Church, Belfast. For services to the Reserve Forces and to the community in Belfast

MBE – Mr Leslie John Raymond Irvine, International Referee Assessor, Irish Football Association. For services to Association Football

MBE – The Reverend Derek James Johnston, Lead Chaplain, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Chaplaincy and Well-Being during Covid-19

MBE – Mr Maurice Joseph Kennedy, Volunteer, Transport Training Board. For services to the Transport and Logistics Industries of Northern Ireland and Great Britain

MBE – Ms Helen Morag Keys, Entrepreneur, Queen’s University’s Students’ Union. For services to Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Farming

MBE – Mr James Kilpatrick, Chair, RVH Liver Support Group. For services to People with Liver Disease and their Carers in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mr Henry James Kissock, Information and Communication Technology Service Delivery Manager, Police Service of Northern Ireland. For services to the community in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mr Robert James Martin, For services to Drama in Northern Ireland

MBE – Ms Sarah Mason, Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland. For services to Women and Girls

MBE – Mrs Elizabeth McCrory, Regional Lead, UK Export Finance. For services to Exporting Businesses in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mr Robert William McVeigh, For services to the Commonwealth Games in Northern Ireland

MBE – Ms Alison Jane Moffitt Robinson, For services to Sports Management and Development in Northern Ireland

MBE – Ms Leona O'Neil, Founder, The Boom Foundation. For services to Charitable Fundraising for People with Sarcoma

MBE – Mr Harry Clive O'Neill, For charitable services to the community in County Down

MBE – Mr Brian Thomas James Purcell, Lately Northern District Manager, St John Ambulance. For voluntary service in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mr Anthony Martin Quinn, Lately Business Development Director, Co-operation Ireland. For services to Community Relations in Northern Ireland

MBE – Mrs Kimberley Louise Scott, Lately Assistant Director of Education, Education Authority. For services to Education

MBE – Dr Muhammad Saleem Khan Tareen, Psychiatrist, Northern Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Mental Ill Health and to Community Development in Northern Ireland

BEM – The Reverend Canon William Matthew Adair, Rector, St Columba's Parish, Portadown. For services to the Church of Ireland and to the community in Portadown, County Armagh

BEM – Mrs Valerie Beattie, For services to the community in County Antrim

BEM – Mr William Archibald Bingham, Chair, Newcastle and Mourne Cancer Research Committee. For services to Cancer Research Fundraising in County Down

BEM – Mrs Winifred Patricia Bownes, Volunteer Coordinator, Cookstown Monday Club. For services to the community in Cookstown, County Tyrone

BEM – Dr John Morrison Brown, For services to the community in County Tyrone

BEM – Mr Robert James Buchanan, Chair, Londonderry Branch, Royal Naval Association. For voluntary services to Veterans

BEM – Mrs Joy Henrietta Mary Coalter, Lately Building and Cleaning Supervisor, Brookeborough Primary School, County Fermanagh. For services to Education

BEM – Mr David Cupples, For services to the community in County Tyrone

BEM – Mr Michael Davidson, Volunteer and Trustee, Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation. For Voluntary Service

BEM – Mr Trevor Samuel John Douglas, General Manager, Belfast Cathedral. For services to Peacebuilding and to the community in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Margaret Elizabeth Flanagan, Member, Inner Wheel Club of Ballymena. For voluntary services to the community in Ballymena, County Antrim

BEM – Ms Claire Forsythe, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Officer, Probation Board for Northern Ireland. For services to the Rehabilitation of Offenders

BEM – Mr Joseph William Garvey, For services to the community in County Armagh

BEM – Mr Kenneth Matthew Gillespie, For service to Young People through Scouting

BEM – Mr Geoffrey Frederick Bewick Goldsbrough, Founder, Perennials Charity Rugby Club. For services to Charity in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Bronagh Mary Hegarty, Covid-19 Principal Pharmacist for Patient Services and Procurement, Western Health and Social Care Trust. For services to Healthcare and Pharmacy

BEM – Mr Donald Alexander Hill, For services to the community in County Londonderry

BEM – Mrs Lena Moira Hutchinson, For voluntary services to the community in Larne, County Antrim

BEM – Mrs Vivien Jess, Learning Centre Manager, Education Training Service. For services to Defence and to the community in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Monica Ann Johnston, Admission/Discharge Co-ordinator, Neurosciences, Belfast Health and Social Care. For services to Nursing and to the community in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Anne Marie Kelly, lately Regional Office Manager, Northern Ireland Organ Donor Service. For services to Organ Donation and Transplantation in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mr William James David King, For services to Association Football in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Joan Lynas, For services to the Girls' Brigade and to the community in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland

BEM – Mr Jeremy Paul McCluskey, Front of House and Security Guard, G4S Security. For Public Service, particularly during Covid-19

BEM – Mr Robert John McCormick, Security Team Leader, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. For Public Service

BEM – Mr Patrick Eugene McGeehan, Coach, Santos Football Club. For voluntary service to Association Football in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Myrtle Edna McIlveen, Volunteer Manager, Killyleagh Community Charity Shop. For voluntary services to the community in County Down

BEM – Mr Deon Frederick McNeilly, Chair, Newcastle Athletics Club, County Down. For services to Athletics in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mr Robin John Mercer, Managing Director, Hillmount Garden Centre. For services to Business and to the Economy in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mr Adrian David Morrow, Estate Manager, Glenarm Castle and Chief Executive, Irish Grouse Conservation Trust. For voluntary services to Habitat Conservation and to the community in County Antrim

BEM – Mr Bryan Phillips, Volunteer, Irish Guards Association. For services to Armed Forces Charities in Northern Ireland

BEM – Ms Lesley Porter, Principal's Personal Assistant, Oakgrove Integrated College, Derry-Londonderry. For services to Reconciliation in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mr Derek Mark Preston, For services to the Northern Ireland Prison Service and to Charity in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mr John Alexander Alister Smyth, For voluntary and charitable services to the community in Limavady, County Londonderry

BEM – Mrs Margaret Pearl Sterling, Teaching Associate, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast. For services to Higher Education in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Eileen Linda Stewart, Manager, Armagh Business Centre. For services to Entrepreneurship, to Economic Regeneration and to the community in Armagh, Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Janet Alexandra Thompson, For services to the Scouting Movement in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Florence Diane Walker, Founder and Leader, The Country Playgroup. For services to Early Years Education in County Antrim

BEM – Mr Adam Samuel Watson, Dairy Farmer, Coleraine. For services to Mental Health in the Farming Community in Northern Ireland

BEM – Mrs Sylvia Joan West, For services to the community in County Down

BEM – The Venerable Thomas Roderic West, Minister, Church of Ireland. For services to the community in County Down

BEM – Mr David Wheeler, Chair, Lisnaskea Rovers Football Club. For services to Association Football in County Fermanagh

BEM – Mr Martin John White, For services to Music in Northern Ireland

KPM – Mr Samuel Paul Henderson, Lately Detective Constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland

KPM – Ms Nicola Marie Marshall, Detective Superintendent, Police Service of Northern Ireland

KPM – Mr Kieran Quinn, Inspector, Police Service of Northern Ireland

KFSM – Mr Thomas Stanley Torbitt, Watch Commander, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service