There are six Honours Recipients in County Londonderry
MBE: Leslie Irvine of Limavady for his services to Association Football. Leslie is a former Northern Irish professional football referee. He was a full international ref for FIFA until his retirement in 2003. He refereed four Irish Cup finals and has refereed at the highest levels throughout the world.
MBE: Helen Keys of Moneymore for services to Entrepreneurship and Innovation in farming. Helen is a farmer, metalworker, QUB Students’ Union Entrepreneur in residence, farming experimenter (not least in the growing and processing of flax along with her partner Charlie) and she has attracted interest from farmers across the globe on how to farm in a nature friendly manner.
MBE: Brian Purcell of Limavady for services to the Voluntary Sector and lately a most effective Northern Region District Manager of St John Ambulance. Well known in farming circles he teaches at Limavady Grammar school and was central to the school’s trips to carry out charity work in Kadjiado in Kenya.
BEM: Geoffrey Frederick Bewick Goldsborough of Coleraine for services to Charity in Northern Ireland. He is a rugby enthusiast and in 1989 was instrumental in founding the Perennials Charity Rugby Club which has now raised well over half a million pounds for local charities and groups, including sporting and disabled sporting groups.
BEM: John Alexander Alister Smyth of Limavady for his services to his Community. An indefatigable charity event and fund raiser for many decades he uses his great baking skills to raise funds for local charities and groups.
BEM: Adam Samuel Watson of Macosquin for his services to mental health in the farming community. He is a young dairy farmer who had mental health problems and decided that he would help the Rural Support Organisation to reach out to those farmers across Northern Ireland who were struggling with mental health issues. His work is hugely impressive.
The Lord Lieutenant passes on her congratulations to all the recipients and thanks them wholeheartedly for all they contribute to the County and beyond.
