Kenneth Branagh leads Northern Ireland Queen's Birthday honours list

Hollywood actor Kenneth Branagh leads the list of Northern Ireland names on this year's Queens Birthday honours list.

The Belfast-born star is to be given a knighthood for his services to drama.

Radio Ulster's Wendy Austin will receive an MBE for her contribution to broadcasting, while Johnny Graham - the principal of Belfast Model School for Girls will be awarded an OBE.

In all 85 people from Northern Ireland received honours.

Branagh, the Oscar-nominated actor, director and screenwriter, was also recognised for his services to the community of Northern Ireland.

"My heart's fit to burst. I feel humble, elated, and incredibly lucky," he said.

Knights commander of the most honourable order of bath (KCB) - Kenneth Charles Branagh

Companion of the order of the bath (CB) - Edgar Frederick Jardine; Alan David Shannon

Commanders of the civil division of the most excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) - Ruth Laird; Leonard John Patrick O'Hagan

Officers of the civil division of the most excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Dr Norman Apsley; Dr Olive Buckley; Dr Michael Anthony Bull; Bridget Josephine Glendinning; Mr John Alexander Graham; Brendan Michael McCartan; Dr Bhaskar Sengupta; Edward Vernon

Members of the civil division of the most excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) - Joanne Elizabeth Andrew-Steer; Robert Arnott; John Alfred Best; Ian James Bothwell; Margaret Irene Boyd; Raymond Patrick Boyle; Joan Burney-Keatings; Joan Carmichael; Jean Gibson; Thomas Gilpin; Trevor Alexander Hassin; Robert Jonathan Hegan; Wendy Elizabeth Austin Hewitt; Patrick Robert William Hurst; Eleanore Margaret Huston; Brendan Johnston; Leslie Jones; Adele Margretta Kerr; Helen Kirkpatrick; James Leitch; Jean Liddell; Reginald James Magowan; Henry (Harry) McCullough; Roger George McCune; Robert Joseph McFerran; Clare McGartland; James Brian McGookin; Malachy Vincent McGreevy; Ann McGregor-Sistern; Margaret Jane McMullen; Heather Monteverde; Robert David Morrow; Marian Anne Moutray; Francis Joseph O'Hagan; Catherine Joy Peters; Henry Joseph Quinn; Trevor Quinn; John Calvert Gingles Rodgers; Susan Fullerton Semple; Ivor Robert Stevenson

British Empire Medal (BEM) - Myrtle Cecilia Moore Allen; Samuel Ronald Martin Bothwell; Edith Eleanor Boyd; William John Davis; John Bryan Dunlop; James David Elliott; Anna Marie Hamilton; Elizabeth Henry; Elaine Herd; Margaret Hunter; Irene Kerr; William James Lunn; Carolyn McCabe; Nelson Samuel McGonagle; Paul McKee; Philip Jude McKeown; Elizabeth Millar; Isobel Parke; William David Pollock; Bertha Ann Rankin; Jean Rea; Irene Rebecca Audrey Robb; Elizabeth Rose; Patricia Ann Shannon; Anne Skelton Vance; Margaret Wilson; Isabella Woods; Robert Dawson Wright

Queen's police medal (QPM) - Kenneth Annett; Stephen McQueen; Derek Harry Scott

Queen's ambulance service medal (QASM) - Brian McNeill

"When I was a kid I dreamed of pulling on a shirt for the Northern Ireland football team.

"I could only imagine how proud you might feel. Today it feels like they just gave me the shirt."

Branagh moved to Reading when he was still in primary school, but has credited his Irish background for his love of language.

He studied at Rada before learning his trade on the stage where he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) before going on to form his own theatre company.

Mr Graham, the principal of Girl's Model, said his OBE reflected the work carried out by everyone at the school.

"When the letter came through the door it was shock and then it was pride," he said.

"It's just a great pleasure that you've been recognised for your work, not just myself but also the whole school, because we've been working very hard with the community.

John Rodgers, chairman of the Children to Lapland Trust, will be given an MBE.

The charity takes terminally and children with long-term illnesses to Lapland to see Father Christmas.

"It gives us a royal stamp more or less," Mr Rodgers said.

"A stamp of approval that what we're doing is right and keep on going and let's take a larger plane or maybe take a couple of planes up each year."

Joan Burney-Keatings of the Cinemagic charity will be awarded an OBE.

"It really is incredible for the charity," she said.

"We hope that it will help continue to raise the profile, both here and internationally and hopefully make lots of good things come from it."

Radio Ulster's Wendy Austin has been involved in broadcasting for 35 years, much of it as presenter of Good Morning Ulster.

She is currently the presenter of Talkback.

Three PSNI officers have been awarded the Queen's Police Medal, while Brian McNeill the director of operations of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is awarded the Queen's Ambulance Medal.