I was born in November 1966, to my parents Sheila and Joe, we lived in Bangor, County Down and there we resided until 2004 when we moved to Armagh. I’m married to Gillian and we have two daughters, Hannah and Katie. We also have two son-in-laws Adam and Mike and a wonderful grandson Alfie.

Following school in 1986, I embarked on a career in nursing, gaining experience across may specialties and settings.

I’ve been brought up in a family who have strong Christian values, this has always been important to me and a solid foundation for my life, although not necessarily for my lifestyle. In more recent years, my faith in Jesus has become the central feature of my life and the guide for everything that I try to do.

I’m a keen athlete, particularly running and swimming, and back down through the decades golf, triathlon and football have been important aspects of my life.