New Year Honours 2021: Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan to receive a British Empire Medal

Commonwealth and European pommel horse champion Rhys McClenaghan is to receive a British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours.

The Newtownards native, 21, became the first Irish gymnast to win a World Championship medal last year.

Mixed Martial Arts coach Danny Corr will also receive a BEM for services to his sport and to community relations in Glengormley.

Six-time North West 200 winner John McGuinness will become an MBE.

McGuinness hails from Morecombe in Lancashire but is a popular figure in Northern Ireland having competed at road racing events in the province for many years.

Also included in the annual Honours list are County Antrim's Evelyn Graham (BEM) for services to badminton and to the community, and Bangor man Bill O'Hara who will become an OBE in recognition of his services to sailing.

O'Hara competed for Ireland at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and was also team manager for his county at Games in addition to being a highly respected administrator within the sport.

Magherafelt man David McGowan is also the recipient of an MBE for his services to sport and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Former Royal and Ancient Golf Club Chief Executive Peter Dawson, instrumental in bringing the Open Championship to Royal Portrush in 2019, is to become a Member of the British Empire.

McClenaghan has had to split his time between his training base in Dublin and family home in Newtownards this year

For McClenaghan, the recognition comes at the end of a trying year in which his Olympic dreams were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.

"It means the world to me that I'm being recognised for what I put into my sport," said McClenaghan.

"It's one of my main goals, to promote the word of gymnastics and show the world what gymnastics has done for my life and what it potentially could do for younger kids lives.

"When I go out there and achieve a big goal like Commonwealth champion and European champion, every time I stand on that podium I think this is a great achievement for gymnastics, not just myself."

The County Down native will travel to Tokyo next year with hopes of claiming a medal, having become one of the sport's established stars in recent years, claiming bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart.

Earlier this year he spent three months training at his County Down home before returning to the National Gymnastics Centre in Dublin over the summer.