With the short film An Irish Goodbye, which dominated this year's major award shows, Martin made his big-screen debut.

He later went on to win an Oscar, making him the first actor with Down syndrome to do so.

Martin's increasing list of honours now includes an honorary doctorate.

At the graduation ceremony held at Belfast's Waterfront Hall, Martin was one of several honorary graduates along with gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, poet Michael Longley, and broadcaster Sean Rafferty.

James spoke after the awards ceremony and said: “We had a great team working on the movie which told a universal story that people really connected with and enjoyed watching.”