Causeway Coast and Glens recipients of New Year Honours

Receiving the MBE for voluntary services to Maritime Safety is Patrick McLaughlin from Red Bay RNLI. Mr McLaughlin is the coxswain of Red Bay Lifeboat Station and a Trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Also receiving the MBE is Coleraine’s Hannah Scott for services to rowing. The 25-year-old won gold with Team GB women's quadruple sculls at the Paris Olympics in 2024 – making her Northern Ireland’s first female Olympic gold medallist since Lady Mary Peters, 52 years ago.

In addition, the GB team were gold medallists at the 2024 European Championships.

Hannah also became one of the first athletes to take part in Project Minerva, a research project focused on improving understanding the performance of female athletes. In 2023, she became World Champion in the women’s quad.

Receiving a BEM in the New Year Honours List is Mervyn Thompson, director of Portrush parkrun.

The 54-year-old has shown tireless commitment, enthusiasm, and passion, for promoting and facilitating ‘parkrun’ for the last 13 years. His passion for parkrun, and outstanding reputation in the running fraternity also led to his involvement in establishing the first custodial setting parkrun on the island of Ireland at HMP Magilligan.

In 2016, Mervyn decided to combine his love of running with fundraising by organising a 5 Mile Road race. This has become an annual event, with 200-300 runners taking part, and raised much needed funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

Also receiving a BEM is the Right Reverend Monsignor Bryan McCanny, parish priest, for services to the community of Limavady.

Another Limavady resident, William Somerville, receives a BEM for services to the community of Limavady.