NEWS

Waterstone’s Ballymena has revealed its latest Top 10 bestselling books, with golf biography, literary fiction and sci-fi adventures all proving popular among local readers this week. The newest chart reflects a growing appetite for contemporary fiction and thought-provoking reads, while upcoming releases from some of the literary world’s biggest names are already generating excitement ahead of publication. Top 10 this week A varied mix of fiction, memoir and literary bestsel

One year after finishing second from bottom, Ballymena Norstar U13s have completed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in local youth sport by becoming Inline Hockey Ireland League Champions for 2026 — without losing a single match all season. The young Ballymena side sealed the title after a tense final-day showdown against the Dublin Flying Ducks in front of a packed crowd in Portadown, capping an unbeaten campaign that has turned the team into one of the standout success

Young people across Northern Ireland are being warned that vaping to cope with exam pressure could actually make stress, anxiety and concentration problems worse, as concerns grow around rising mental health pressures among teenagers. Drug and alcohol harm reduction charity ASCERT says increasing numbers of young people may be turning to nicotine products during revision and exam season in an attempt to manage anxiety, tiredness and school-related stress. The warning comes as

Past participants who completed the Medical Administration Training Academy in preparation for employment in GP practices across Mid and East Antrim A free training programme aimed at helping local people secure jobs within GP practices across Mid and East Antrim is returning for a second consecutive year — but organisers say there is now just one week left to apply, with only a limited number of places remaining. The Medical Administration Training Academy, delivered by the

Northern Regional College, Ballymena Northern Regional College has celebrated some of Northern Ireland’s top emerging talent at a special reception in Ballymena, recognising apprentices who have achieved success on regional, national and international stages. The event, held at the College’s Ballymena campus, brought together award-winning apprentices, employers, lecturers and senior College leaders to mark a series of standout achievements across engineering, manufacturing a

Ballymena artist Heather Martin A Ballymena-based artist has secured new funding support to develop a stage play examining systemic misogyny within policing and medicine as part of a wider Northern Ireland arts initiative supporting D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives. Heather Martin is among 20 artists across Northern Ireland awarded £1,000 grants through the newly renamed Atypical Generation Fund, delivered by the University of Atypical with National Lottery fundi

A growing crisis in home care provision across Northern Ireland is leaving hundreds of vulnerable people waiting for support, with rural communities in North Antrim facing some of the sharpest pressures, according to comments made at Stormont this week. Speaking during an Assembly debate on Tuesday, 12 May, TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston warned that the situation could no longer be softened or downplayed, describing the current state of domiciliary care as a “crisis”. He

Education Minister pictured at the TransformED One Year On School Leaders’ Conference in Ballymena with (l to r), Garry Matthewson, Daniel T. Willingham, Hardip Begol CBE, Christine Counsell OBE, Carl Hendrick, Noeleen Tiffney, Alistair Hamill and Dr Harold Hislop. Education Minister Paul Givan has declared Northern Ireland’s sweeping TransformED education reform programme is now entering its “most critical phase” as more than 1,500 school leaders, teachers and international

Police and ambulance crews were called to a property in the Ballykeel area of Ballymena on Thursday afternoon following the sudden death of a man. The incident happened in the Shetland Gardens area shortly before 5pm on Thursday, May 14. Emergency services, including officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, attended the scene after reports of the sudden death. Police say death not being treated as suspici

Family Farm Award winners James & Rachel Davison were presented with their award by Keith Halstead, Executive Director of the Royal Countryside Fund. A farming couple from Glenarm have been recognised on one of Northern Ireland agriculture’s biggest stages after winning a prestigious national award at this year’s Balmoral Show. James and Rachel Davison received the Royal Countryside Fund Family Farm Award at the 2026 M&S Select Farm Awards on Tuesday, May 13, in recognition o

Autism diagnoses among school-age children in Northern Ireland have reached their highest recorded level, with new figures revealing 18,472 pupils are now identified as autistic — while politicians and families warn support systems are becoming overwhelmed. The latest annual prevalence report published by the Department of Health shows autism prevalence among school-age children rose to 6.2% during the 2025/26 school year. That represents an increase of 0.3 percentage points

Residents across the Borough are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves, plant for pollinators and help make local communities greener as the Mid and East Antrim In Bloom 2026 Community Competitions officially open for entries. With 12 free-to-enter categories and prizes available for both winners and runners-up, the annual initiative is once again inviting households, community groups and gardening enthusiasts to showcase the very best of local horticulture while supporti

Tess Osborne, Head of Fresh Foods Sourcing NI at Tesco Tesco has more than doubled the number of Northern Ireland suppliers it works with in just three years, deepening its reliance on local farmers, food producers and manufacturers as pressure continues to mount across the agri-food sector. The supermarket giant now works with 138 Northern Ireland-based suppliers across more than 1,600 locally sourced product lines, with Ballymena meat processor Doherty & Gray playing a grow

British Heart Foundation Ballymena shop manager Maureen Beattie is urging Ballymena residents to donate quality, preloved summer stock to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) shop on Ballymoney Street to help fund lifesaving research. People across Ballymena are being urged to clear out wardrobes, shelves and spare rooms this spring as the British Heart Foundation launches a fresh appeal for quality donations to help fund lifesaving research. The charity’s Ballymoney Street sho

Families across Northern Ireland waiting for confirmation of school places for children with special educational needs are being offered direct one-to-one support through a new series of online drop-in sessions hosted by the Education Authority. The initiative comes amid growing pressure on the region’s SEN system, with demand for specialist placements continuing to rise sharply and thousands of additional places projected to be needed over the next decade. Parents and carers

(L-R) Paul Truscott, General Manager of The Harbourview Hotel pictured with David Roberts, Director of Strategic Development at Tourism NI and Adrian McLaughlin, Owner of The Harbourview Hotel  The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough has secured a major boost just over a year after reopening under new ownership, with Tourism Northern Ireland awarding the coastal venue a four-star grading following an extensive refurbishment programme. The Co Antrim hotel — described as Ireland’s

Main pitch at Ballymena Showgrounds Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is seeking planning approval for the next phase of redevelopment at Ballymena Showgrounds — including replacing the stadium’s existing natural grass surface with a new full-size 3G/hybrid pitch system. The application, submitted for the council-owned venue on St Patrick’s Link, relates to the main arena at the home of Ballymena United F.C.. It comes just months after the council’s Planning Committee appro

Charleigh-Rose Havelin A Ballymena mother has spoken of the moment her nine-year-old daughter was rushed to Belfast by blue-light ambulance after weeks of headaches and relentless vomiting were finally revealed to be an aggressive brain tumour. For months, Jenna Havelin says her daughter Charleigh-Rose became increasingly unwell as the family desperately searched for answers, never imagining the little girl’s symptoms were being caused by medulloblastoma — the most common mal

Ballymena businessman Trevor Barr, Barr’s Butchers The owner of one of Ballymena’s long-established family businesses has paid tribute to the McKillen family following the closure of McKillens on Church Street, while also issuing a stark warning about the growing pressures facing traders across the town centre. Trevor Barr, of Barr’s Butchers on Ballymoney Street, said the closure of the well-known retailer was both personally sad and symbolic of the wider challenges now thre

Mr Stephen Black One of Northern Ireland’s best-known school principals is set to leave his post at Ballymena Academy later this year after accepting a new position within the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Mr Stephen Black will step down as Principal of Ballymena Academy on 31 August 2026, bringing to an end a 12-year leadership period which saw the school maintain strong academic performance while further developing its sporting and co-curricular reputation. The announc