Niall Horan hanging with his Mom in Mullingar
Fame and fortune can lead you far from home. Just ask One Direction star Niall Horan. This week his family have said that one downside to his rapid ascent to the top of the charts is that they never know when they'll see him at the door again.

Speaking to the Herald, Niall's older brother Greg said he only knows when the young superstar is back in Ireland when he appears unannounced at the family home in Mullingar.

Greg admits his family now understand how crazy life in show business can get and admits they're very proud of the hard-working young Irish singer.

Horan tweeted a heartfelt word of thanks to his fans yesterday when he heard they had erected framed photos and memorabilia at his place in the UK.

And while Niall, 18, is now reportedly back in the UK after the band's north America tour, his family do not yet know if he'll make it across to Ireland soon. 'He's home in the UK at the moment,' Greg told the Herald.

'Niall could ring when I'm in work, like he did last year. He rang and said 'where are you?' I said, I'm in work. And he said, get down here and open the door for me. No one knows his diary.'

Greg, who works as a supervisor in a Spar supermarket in Mullingar, said he and his family rarely get an opportunity to speak to Niall while he is touring with One Direction.

But he added that Niall's big dream has always been to get a number one hit in another country and he's delighted they have. He also said he suspects that ending the American tour has been difficult for Niall.

'I can tell from the photos that he's sad that the Up All Night tour is over. When they were starting out they said they wanted a number one in another country, and they got it.'