BELFAST actor and star of Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye, James Martin, has been awarded an honorary doctorate at Ulster University for his outstanding contribution to the arts.
The 31-year-old was among a number of people to receive honours at a ceremony at the university's Belfast campus on Wednesday.
Others recognised at the ceremony include former BBC NI presenter and current BBC Radio 3 host Sean Rafferty and world champion gymnast Rhys McClenaghan.
Speaking of his award, James Martin - who earlier this year met US President Joe Biden at the UU Belfast campus - said he was "delighted" to be recognized for his contribution to An Irish Goodbye, in which he was directed by Ross White and Tom Berkeley, and starred alongside Ballymena's Seamus O'Hara and west Belfast's Paddy Jenkins.
"We had a great team working on the movie which told a universal story that people really connected with and enjoyed watching. The impact it has had on people with learning difficulties has been very positive.”
Read more: An Irish Goodbye named Best Short at Irish Film and Television Awards
Read more: Belfast actor James Martin makes it into the Guinness World Records
