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Niall James Horan was born on 13 September 1993 in the small town of Mullingar, Ireland.

Following his parents' divorce when he was five, Niall and his brother Greg split their time between the homes of their mother Maura Gallager and dad Bobby Horan, before eventually deciding to live with Bobby when Maura remarried in 2005. Niall explained: 'I ended up moving in with my dad because he lived in town, so I had more friends there and it was more convenient for school and other stuff.'

Althought small for his ages, Niall was a popular pupil at Colatitude Muire, a school for boys founded by The Christian Brothers Althought he didn't expel academically, teachers recall that he was good at French and showed great potential.

'The simple fact is that I spent too much time messing about. I thought school was all about having a craic and acting like a fool.'

- Niall Horan

MUSICAL BEGINNINGS

Niall was into music from a very young age, at six years old, he started to play the recorder and took up the guitar at the age 12. 'I was always the kid that picked up the nearest instrument and Just loved music,' he recalls.

His family first spotted his vocal talent when he was singing at the back of the car. 'My Auntie said she thought the radio was on. Exactly the same thing happened to Michael Bublé with his dad - he's my absolute hero so I like the fact we have similar story. My Auntie said she always knew I'd be famous from then on, but I never anything of it.'

Before his big break, Niall was chosen as a support act for a previous X Factor contestant, Lloyd Daniels, when he performed on Dublin and was brimming with confidence when he himself auditioned for the show soon afterwards.

'I'm sixteen and I want to be a big name like Beyoncé and Justin Bieber. I've been compared to him a few times and it's not a bad comparison. I want to sell out arenas, make an album and work with some of the best artists in the world!'

- Niall Horan to X Factor judges at his audition

THE GIRLS

Niall had his first girlfriend at school, but the romance fizzled out after just a few months and he has been pretty much single ever since, although he knows what he is looking for: 'I like the natural look and someone who can take a bit of banter, have a laugh, and who likes the same things as me - if you go out with me, you have to want to come to a football match, I support Debby County, and I always have.'

Niall was said to be dating X Factor finalist Amelia Lily in 2011, but that has not stopped armies of admirers from trying their luck, although he admits to feeling overwhelmed by pushy crowds. Indeed he panicked the first time the boys were mobbed at Heathrow Airport shortly after The X Factor finished.

'I'm always a Claustrophobic. So I was panicking a bit when we had to run through everyone and hide. I was so relieved when a police riot van came and got us. - I still can't believe it happened, it feels like it was all some kind of mad dream.'

- Niall Horan

HEROES

Niall often says the best thing about being a star is having a chance to meet some of his favorite performers. He says Ed Sheeran is a major influence, so when he collaborated with the boys on the song 'Moments' for their debut album, Niall was honoured and a little starstruck!

Niall made Michael Bublé laugh by telling him: 'I spent £200 on tickets for your concert in Dublin and I have to give them up bacause of X Factor.'

Although the singer offered him tickets for any show he wanted, Niall cheekily replied: 'No, Michael - I Just want my £200 back!'

'I was always into pop music when I was really young. I really liked Westlife, so to get to meet them and have a chat and a craic was brilliant. They were Just laid-back and down to earth - must be an Irish Thing.'

- Niall Horan

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