ONE Direction star Niall Horan has been taking it down a gear to spend time with his brother and parents in Ireland at Christmas. Niall was one of the major success stories of 2011 and shot to fame when he was grouped together on the X Factor with the other members of the boy band. The Mullingar teen now has thousands of screaming fans following One Direction's progress as they embark on a multi-nation tour. Niall's brother Greg (24) said that they were looking forward to having him home over the Christmas period but said it would be a low-key affair. "We didn't have a very exciting Christmas Day. We spent it in our mother's during the day and then with our father for the evening," he said. "We're getting on a bit. The excitement has gone out of it. "Myself and Niall bought each other presents. But we're not into big gifts and we wouldn't be insulted if we didn't get anything." Greg said that their traditional Irish Christmas will bring Niall back down to earth after a whirlwind year. "We have to keep his head down," he said. "Ireland is in a recession so we know what it's like." Charts Greg said that he and his family have no fears for Niall living in London at such a young age. And he will always remember his Irish fans. "Niall thinks that Ireland got him through X Factor. Ireland kept the band at number one in the charts," he said. "When they came home they got such a reception. They were in Maynooth the other week and all the girls wanted to do was cry." "He is loving everything about the Irish fans," Greg added. "He said to me when he was on the X Factor, 'I didn't doubt, but now I know, that the Irish fans are there for us'."

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