Queen honours Longley and McCoy in Birthday Awards list

Poet Michael Longley and Grand National winning jockey Tony McCoy have received awards in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

McCoy, 36, who has been champion jockey every year since 1996, receives an OBE. He was previously given an MBE in 2003.

Michael Longley has been given a CBE while BBC Northern Ireland presenter Jackie Fullerton receives an MBE.

The same award goes to Irish international cricketer Kyle McCallan, who retired after winning 226 caps.

In total, 61 people from Northern Ireland receive awards including three police officers who receive the Queen's Police Medal.

Tony McCoy, from Moneyglass in County Antrim, won the world's most famous steeplechase for the first time this year.

Michael Longley is widely recognised as one of the leading contemporary poets of his generation.

He studied at Trinity College, Dublin and the Sorbonne. He then taught in Dublin and London before returning to Belfast in 1964.

In 1993 he became the Fellow Writer at Trinity, and five years later a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the pre-eminent literary organisation in Britain.

The poet also accepted an invitation to join the Aosdana (People of the Arts), an association of fewer than 250 distinguished artists throughout Ireland honoured for their outstanding contribution to the arts.

Jackie Fullerton has received his award for services to broadcasting and to the community in Northern Ireland.

A patron of the charity Heartbeat, the former Irish league footballer has also dedicated time to working with young people with disabilities.

He said: "When you're a war baby from working class Ballymena, you never expected that one day that you'd be going to the palace to accept an award like this.

"I am stunned and humbled and full of pride. It's also a time of mixed emotions.

"There is the elation, but also the sadness that my parents Martha, who died nine years ago, and my father wee Jack who died eight years ago, will not be there. They would have been very proud."

Forty per cent of the awards were after public nomination including one for services to ploughing.

The oldest local recipient is Hill Robinson, 88, who receives his award for services to the charity Cancer Research UK.

Prominent educationalist Siobhan Fitzpatrick receives a CBE for her work in developing education for very young children.

She said: "It is primarily a recognition of the work which has been done over the decades by thousands of committed volunteers and professionals.

"It is a tribute to the optimism and ingenuity of ordinary people, which inspired them to lay the foundations of the services we see today."

Bryan Davis, Chief Executive, Social Security Agency, Department for Social Development, Northern Ireland Executive. (Hillsborough, Co Down)

Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive, Early Years Organisation. For services to Education in Northern Ireland. (Rostrevor, Co Down)

Raymond Andrew Kitson, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland. (Belfast)

Padraig Canavan, Managing Director, Singularity Ltd. For services to Business in Northern Ireland. (Londonderry)

Professor Harold Samuel Gamble Professor of Engineering, Queen's University, Belfast. For services to Science. (Dromore, Co Down)

Jeremy Andrew Harris, Assistant Chief Constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland. For services to the Police. (Belfast)

David George Henderson, Managing Director, Tobermore Concrete Products Ltd. For services to the Construction Industry in Northern Ireland. (Magherafelt, Co Londonderry)

Stephen Mathews, Chief Executive, Cedar Foundation. For services to Disabled People in Northern Ireland. (Belfast)

Patrick Joseph McIntyre, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Housing Executive. For services to the Housing Sector. (Bangor, Co Down)

Joseph McVey, Chairman, Volunteer Development Agency. For services to the Voluntary Sector in Northern Ireland. (Belfast)

John Irwin Nevin, lately Assistant Director of Operations (Benefits Assurance), Social Security Agency, Northern Ireland Executive. (Omagh, Co Tyrone)

Desmond Williamson, Principal, Castlederg High School. For services to Education in Northern Ireland. (Castlederg, Co Tyrone)

Rhoda Ardill Baxter. For services to People with Disabilities in Northern Ireland. (Castlerock, Co Londonderry)

Lorna Harriett Isobelle Beacom. For voluntary service to the Prevention of Domestic Abuse in Northern Ireland. (Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh)

Agnes Glass Blair. For services to Healthcare and to Respiratory Services in Northern Ireland. (Ballymoney, Co Antrim)

Marie Boyd. Deputy Principal, Finance and European Division, Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland Executive. (Newtownards, Co Down)

David Rankin Briggs, Director, Corporate Services, Lisburn City Council. For services to Local Government in Northern Ireland. (Dromara, Co Down)

William Gordon Clarke. For voluntary service to Haemophiliac Patients in Northern Ireland. (Carrickfergus, Co Antrim)

Thomas Patrick Cunningham. Harbourmaster, Carlingford Lough Commission. For services to the Maritime Industry in Northern Ireland. (Newry, Co Down)

Norman Dunn, lately Chief Executive, Newtownabbey Borough Council. For services to Local Government in Northern Ireland. (Newtownabbey, Co Antrim)

William Andrew Francey. Director, Health and Environmental Services, Belfast City Council. For services to Local Government in Northern Ireland. (Belfast)

William Terence Francis, Head, School of Business Innovation and Development, South Eastern Regional College. For services to Further Education in Northern Ireland. (Bangor, Co Down)

John Alexander Fullerton. For services to Sports Journalism and to the Community in Northern Ireland. (Ballymena, Co Antrim)

Councillor Michael John Henderson, Member, Castlereagh Borough Council. For services to Local Government in Northern Ireland. (Belfast)

Patricia Knowles, Senior Social Worker, HIV Services, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. For services to Healthcare. (Lisburn, Co Antrim)

Nancy Magrath, Principal, Edenderry Nursery School. For services to Education in Northern Ireland. (Holywood, Co Down)

Amanda Martin, Director and General Manager, Park Avenue Hotel. For services to the Tourist Industry in Northern Ireland. (Belfast)

Reverend Thomas Veitch Mawhinney. For voluntary service to Education in Limavady, Northern Ireland. (Limavady, Co Londonderry)

Margaret Elizabeth Penny. For services to Hockey in Northern Ireland and to the British Parachute Association. (Coleraine, Co Londonderry)

Hill Robinson JP. For voluntary service to Cancer Research UK in Strabane, Northern Ireland. (Strabane, Co Londonderry)

Christopher Shannon, Head Porter, Queen's University, Belfast. For services to Higher Education. (Newtownabbey, Co Antrim)

Anne Elizabeth Thompson, Staff Nurse, Musgrave Park Hospital. For services to Healthcare in Northern Ireland. (Lisburn, Co Antrim)

Alan Thomson, Director, Orchardville Society. For services to People with Learning Disabilities in Northern Ireland. (Portrush, Co Antrim)

Ethna Patricia Watterson. For voluntary service to the Parkinson's Disease Society in Northern Ireland. (Portstewart, Co Londonderry)

The Reverend William Derek Weir, Chaplain, RAF Aldergrove. For services to the Armed Forces. (Ballyclare, Co Antrim)