CONCERT pianist Barry Douglas, fire service station commander Karen McDowell and champion gymnast Rhys McClenaghan are among those who have been recognised in the New Year Honours list.
Mr Douglas (60), from Lurgan, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
The list saw honours for Belfast-born University of Stirling principal Professor Gerry McCormac; businessman Lord Rana; Kingsmill massacre survivor Alan Black; DUP MLA William Humphrey; Polish consul Jerome Mullen; and Lagan College principal Amanda McNamee.
Denise Hunt from the Londonderry Arms Hotel in Carnlough, Co Antrim, has been handed a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to hospitality and the community.
Rhys McClenaghan (21), from Newtownards in Co Down, who became the first Irish gymnast to win a world championship medal, was honoured with a BEM.
The young sportsman has previously won gold for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth games and gold for Ireland in the European championships.
McClenaghan, who has qualified for the Olympics, said the BEM was a "huge honour".
"I rang my parents straight away and told them the good news and they were thrilled about it - they said 'are we going to have to curtsey to you coming through the door now?'," he said.
"It was a very happy moment though it was a huge shock, my coach questioned whether it was a real email."
Karen McDowell, a Fire and Rescue Service station commander, from Dromore in Co Down, has been made an MBE for her work in helping the LGBTQ community.
Mrs McDowell has helped promote greater acceptance of transgender people within the fire service.
She said she was "shocked and very humbled" by the honour.
"It was definitely a surprise. It's not something I had ever thought of."
Mrs McDowell has worked in the fire service for more than 27 years and is based at the learning and development centre.
She transitioned gender around ten years ago and used her experience and position in the fire service to carry out further research into how the workplace can support the LGBTQ community.
"I was able to put mechanisms in place and I set up an LGBTQ section in the union in Northern Ireland," she said.
"That offered support and help in the LGBTQ community, both operationally and also for those that needed it in the service.
"Attitudes now are very different from what they were ten years ago."
Lagan College principal Amanda McNamee has been recognised for services to education.
"I was delighted, it was lovely news in what has been a challenging year in education," she said.
"I have been a teacher for 26 years and I have worked in four different schools, Belfast Boys' Model, Drumragh Integrated College in Omagh, Methodist College and now Lagan College.
"While I will be made an MBE, I would like to think that all the people I have worked with, from my very first school to now, have helped to shape and form the type of educator that I have become."
