A firefighter who tackled the aftermath of the Omagh bombing despite fearing, correctly, that his own family was caught up in the blast, was made an MBE in the Birthday Honours list.
Mr Patrick McGillion stayed at his post amid the carnage of the "Real IRA" bomb until a senior officer told him to go and check on his own family.
He discovered his granddaughter had been killed, and his daughter, son and son's fiancee critically injured in the bombing last August.
Mr McGillion knew that when the bomb went off the family group had been in Omagh shopping for his son's wedding due to be held a week later.