The father of the child who inspired a major change in organ donation rules is among those from Northern Ireland named in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

Mairtin Mac Gabhann said it was not an easy decision to accept the honour but that his son Dáithí’s campaign was “bigger than any political stance”.

Others recognised include PSNI Det Ch Insp John Caldwell, who survived a murder attempt by dissident republicans last year, and Bronagh Hinds, the co-founder of Northern Ireland’s Women’s Coalition.

There is a knighthood for the head of HMRC Jim Harra, who is from County Down.

Police officer Clodagh Dunlop becomes a MBE for her work on reforming stroke services, as does perinatal mental health campaigner Lindsay Robinson.

Prof Donna Fitzsimons, the head of Queen’s University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, is appointed OBE.

The King’s Birthday Honours List celebrates the public service of individuals across the UK.

Mr Mac Gabhann, from west Belfast, said being appointed MBE “is acknowledging the impact of Dáithí’s campaign and the legislative success of Dáithí’s Law”.

The law was named after seven-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since 2018.

“Personally it was a hard decision to accept this award on behalf of the campaign because of my own personal politics and opinions,” he said.

“But I have never once brought my own personal politics into our campaign and that’s because Dáithí, Dáithí’s Law, the Donate for Dáithí campaign and organ donation – it transcends politics.”

Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot multiple times in front of his son after coaching a youth football team in Omagh, County Tyrone.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the King’s Police Medal (KPM) award was “a recognition of John’s police service, and his bravery and that of his family”.

“Despite the despicable attack that bravery and selfless courage has continued to shine through.

“I know that the support received from the public has been tremendous and, for this, we extend a heartfelt thanks.”

Clodagh Dunlop, from Magherafelt, County Londonderry, led a campaign to reform stroke services after defying the odds to beat locked-in syndrome.

She returned to work 18 months after the stroke and a year after being told she might always be confined to an electric wheelchair.

The 45-year-old underwent a procedure called a mechanical thrombectomy to remove a clot in her head the day after she collapsed in April 2015.

She became involved in campaigning because of her anger that she was not able to have the surgery for hours after the stroke.

“I wanted mechanical thrombectomy to be available 24/7,” she said.

“At the time of my stroke it was only available nine to five, Monday to Friday.

“It is now available here in Northern Ireland seven days a week and the hours have expanded but I still would like it to be 24/7.

“It almost cost me my life and I now live with disabilities. I simply don’t want anybody else living that story.”

Lindsay Robinson, who suffered severe depression while pregnant and after her son was born, has campaigned to improve perinatal mental health services in Northern Ireland.

She said she was “humbled” and “still in shock” after learning she is to become an MBE, but stressed the work to establish services for new mothers in Northern Ireland is not over.

“There still needs to be a mother and baby unit and the funding still isn’t there,” she said.

“That is the next piece of the jigsaw. We still have a way to go.”

Bronagh Hinds was at the centre of the formation of the Women’s Coalition in 1996, during the peace negotiations which led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement two years later.

She becomes a CBE for services to peace and promoting women’s rights.

While acknowledging that it was “quite a struggle” when she received the letter informing her of the CBE nomination, she said it was a “great privilege” to be nominated.

“I looked at the situation and I said if we are British and Irish, if we are living up to that and we are building reconciliation and inclusion and moving on I think it is very important to accept the award,” she added.

“I don’t want to undermine that I think it is a great privilege to have been awarded this honour.”

Prof Donna Fitzsimons, the head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University, said she was “genuinely blown away” after learning she had become an OBE.

She is being recognised for services to healthcare and education.

“Throughout my nursing career in the health service and university setting, I have always considered it a privilege to care for people and to advocate for their needs through my own clinical practice, education, research or policy making,” added Prof Fitzsimons.

“Doing a job you love to the best of your ability never feels like work, so this really is amazing.”

Commonly awarded ranks:

Companion of Honour – Limited to 65 people. Recipients wear the initials CH after their name

Knight or Dame

CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire

OBE – Officer of the Order of the British Empire

MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire

BEM – British Empire Medal

Guide to the Honours

The full list of Birthday Honours recipients in Northern Ireland can be seen below:

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Robert Bailie OBE; for services to the economy and to opera in Northern Ireland

Norman Fulton, deputy secretary of Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; for services to agriculture in Northern Ireland

Bronagh Hinds, co-founder of Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition; for services to peace and promoting women’s rights

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

David Cunningham, National Crime Agency officer; for services to law enforcement

Ronald Joseph Dawson; for services to fundraising and to charity in Northern Ireland and abroad

Prof Donna Fitzsimons, head of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast; for services to healthcare and to education

David Marshall, director of Census, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra); for services to official statistics and census taking in Northern Ireland

James McAlee, consultant clinical oncologist at Northern Ireland Cancer Centre; for services to cancer care and treatment in Northern Ireland

Paul McGurnaghan, state director of digital services at Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA); for services to information technology and digital innovation

Dr John McKeown, veterinary surgeon; for services to the veterinary profession

Prof Noel Purdy, director of Research and Scholarship at Stranmillis University College, Belfast; for services to education

Joy Scott, chair of Clanmil Housing Association; for services to social housing in Northern Ireland

Karen Turner, leader of Traveller Education Support and Asylum Seeker and Refugee Support at Education Authority; for services to education, to minority ethnic support services in Northern Ireland and to speech and drama

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Jeremy Adams; for services to disability sport

Valerie Adams; for services to archives in Northern Ireland

William Adamson, Northern Ireland Development Officer at National Sheep Association; for services to the sheep industry

Alison Cairns; for services to renal patients and their families within the Western Health and Social Care Trust

James Campbell, business support services manager of the Northern Ireland Audit Office; for public service

William Carson, founder of the Container Ministry, Irish Methodist Mission Partnership; for services to the community in Northern Ireland and abroad

Beverley Corry; for services to athletics

Patrick Duffy; for services to Special Olympics sports and to young people, particularly those with learning disabilities in the Newry and District Gateway Club

Clodagh Elizabeth Dunlop; for services to stroke survivors and to the reform of stroke services

Robert Grundy, former chair of Matrix; for services to science, technology and innovation policy

Raymond Hall; for services to pipe bands and to the community in Northern Ireland

Mary Hamilton; for services to local government, to education and to cross-community reconciliation in Northern Ireland

Catherine Harper; for services to domestic abuse support in Northern Ireland

Stephen Harrison, principal of Gilnahirk Primary School, Belfast; for services to education in Northern Ireland

James Huey; for services to education and to rugby in Northern Ireland

Elaine Hunniford; for services to young people and to safeguarding in sport

James Irwin, president of Dungannon and Moy Branch, Royal British Legion; for voluntary service to veterans in Northern Ireland

Prof Barbara Jemphrey, director of Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen’s University Belfast; for services to education

David Johnston, state community outreach officer at the Northern Ireland Office; for public and community service in Northern Ireland

Prof David Simon Jones, professor, pharmaceutical and biomaterial engineering and lately pro-vice-chancellor at Queen’s University Belfast; for services to education and to pharmacy

Máirtín Mac Gabhann; for services to organ donation in Northern Ireland

John Madden, principal of Roddensvale School, Larne; for services to education and to children with special educational needs

John Martin; for services to agriculture and dairy farming in Northern Ireland

Dr Patricia McCaffrey, consultant geriatrician at Southern Health and Social Care Trust; for services to older people in Northern Ireland

David McConville, biomedical services manager at the State Pathologist’s Department; for services to the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland

George McMath, deputy principal at Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra); for services to the Northern Ireland Census

Richard Moore; for services to equine-assisted therapy and learning in Northern Ireland

Stephen Mulligan, principal, Mossley Primary School, Newtownabbey, County Antrim; for services to education

Desmond Nevin, executive director, customer and operations of Northern Ireland Water; for public service

Frances Nicholson, professional social worker of Department of Health Northern Ireland; for services to social work and to adoption and fostering services

Nicholas Price DL; for services to the food and hospitality industry and to the community in Northern Ireland

Catherine Quinn, principal of Abbey Community College, Newtownabbey, County Antrim; for services to education

Raymond Rafferty, chair of trade unions, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust; for services to health and social care in Northern Ireland

Lindsay Robinson; for services to perinatal mental health in Northern Ireland

Bernadette Shiels; for services to the arts in Northern Ireland

Prof Maxwell Watson; for services to palliative care medicine

Robert Wilson, regional officer for Northern Ireland, Association of School and College Leaders; for services to education

William Young, project manager at South West College; for services to civil engineering education

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Brian Adams; for services to young people and sport

Ellen Barnett, volunteer at St Saviour’s Church, Craigavon; for services to music and to the community in Craigavon

Richard Black; for services to the Royal British Legion in County Tyrone

Derek Borland; for public service in Northern Ireland

John Caldwell; for voluntary services to the community in Donaghadee, County Down

Elizabet Coleman; for voluntary and charitable services to the community in Belfast and missionary work in Africa

John Davidson; for services to the licensed retail sector

Kevin Dolan, state senior supervisor of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; for services to forestry

Claire Drummond, head of student wellbeing, Ulster University; for services to higher education

Aidan Early, chair and co-founder of Community First Responders Group Armagh and Tyrone; for voluntary service to the community in Northern Ireland

Adele Elder, area catering manager at Education Authority; for services to education and to charity in the Causeway Coast and Glens

William Gillespie; for services to military and police support in Northern Ireland

Connor Graham, state ambassador and peer mentor of Action Cancer Northern Ireland; for services to people with skin cancer

Sheelagh Greer; for services to music in Northern Ireland

James Hamilton; for services to community safety and the neighbourhood watch

Irene Hewitt; for voluntary services in Londonderry

Marguerite Hull; for services to the St Vincent De Paul Society and to the community in Eglinton, County Londonderry

Irene Hunter; for services to the Royal British Legion in County Londonderry

Michael Ievers; for services to drama in Northern Ireland

Andrew Kennedy, chair of the board of governors at Ballykeel Primary School, Ballymena; for voluntary service to education and to the community in Ballymena, County Antrim

Mandy Kilpatrick, principal private secretary to the Lady Chief Justice; for services to justice

William Henry King; for public service in Northern Ireland

Erroll Adrian Lutton; for services to hockey

Brian Lynas; for services to the Boys’ Brigade and to the community in County Antrim

Kenneth Mannin; for services to the community in County Londonderry

Elizabeth McCann, state receptionist at the Department for the Economy; for public service

Richard McClune; for voluntary service to police and military welfare in County Armagh

Francis McCoubrey; for services to local government and to the community in west and north Belfast

Karen McCourt, foster carer; for services to foster care in Northern Ireland

Patrick McCourt, foster carer; for services to foster care in Northern Ireland

Audrey McDowell; for voluntary and charitable services to the community in County Down

Gordon McDowell; for services to sport and to the local community in County Down

Phyllis Michael; for services to Girlguiding Ulster and to the community in County Londonderry

Paul Mullen; for services to the community in County Tyrone

Rosemarie Mullen; for services to the community in County Tyrone

Sarah-Jane Mullen; for services to the community in County Tyrone

Stephen Newell; for services to the community of Greyabbey, County Down

Sharon Nurse; for services to midwifery and neonatal education in Northern Ireland

William Patterson, governor of Stranmillis University College, Queen’s University Belfast; for voluntary service to higher education

John Porter; for services to scouting and to the community in Northern Ireland

Isabella Rafferty, foster carer; for services to foster care in Northern Ireland

Hilary Richardson; for services to Girlguiding and to the community in Tobermore, County Londonderry

Matilda Richardson, executive officer at Police Service of Northern Ireland; for public service

Samuel Taylor, school caretaker at Windsor Hill Primary School, Newry; for services to education and to the community in Newry, County Down

Paula Tierney; for voluntary and charitable services to HomeStart Belfast North, particularly during Covid-19

Robert White; for services to association football and to charity in north Belfast

King’s Police Medal (KPM)

John Caldwell, Detective Chief Inspector, Police Service of Northern Ireland

Niall McCready, Detective Sergeant, Police Service of Northern Ireland

Mervyn Seffen, Superintendent, Police Service of Northern Ireland

King’s Ambulance Service Medal (KAM)

Heather Foster-Sharpe, assistant director emergency preparedness, resilience and response at the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service