NEWS

Tobermore Concrete, County Londonderry A County Londonderry concrete products manufacturer has been fined £160,000 following the death of an employee at its Tobermore production site. Tobermore Concrete Products Limited was sentenced at Londonderry Crown Court on 19 February 2026 after pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence, following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The prosecution followed the death of Mr Colin

Castlewood Holiday Park, in Antrim, unveils new luxury accommodation and enhanced visitor facilities Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has welcomed the completion of the 5-star Blair’s Castlewood Holiday Park development at Shane’s Castle, marking a significant investment in local tourism on the shores of Lough Neagh. The expanded Castlewood Holiday Park introduces new luxury accommodation and enhanced visitor facilities, strengthening the borough’s position as a short-

Ballymena could become the site of Northern Ireland’s first grid-scale hydrogen-to-power (H2P) system, as BS Holdings Ltd confirms plans to partner with POWERHOUSE ENERGY GROUP PLC in a zero-emission energy project aimed at supporting the National Grid. The proposed development, which is dependent on support from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, would combine renewable electricity with hydrogen production to provide back-up power when wind generation drops and

Eugene and Catherine McKeever, who founded the McKeever Hotel Group 40 years ago and have overseen its growth from Corr’s Corner in Newtownabbey in 1986 to a dynamic family business with seven hotels employing a 600-strong team. McKeever Hotels is celebrating 40 years in business with a 12-month anniversary programme, marking four decades of growth from a single Newtownabbey restaurant to a seven-hotel hospitality group employing 600 people across the island of Ireland. The f

Buyers and suppliers (L-R) – The judges: Jonathan Mitchell (Our Brewery’s co-founder), Esther Paul, (Business Development Manager at Armagh Cider Company), Chelsea McCullagh (Marketing Manager at Heaney Brewery), Michael Crealey ( Lead Packaged Buying Manager at Tesco NI), Karen O’Neill (Sales Manager at Anzac Drinks/ Farmageddon Brewing Co), Bernard Sloan (Managing Director at Whitewater Brewery) and Peter McKeever (Production Manager at Longmeadow Cider). A Randalstown-base

Rhonda Geary, RUAS Group Operations Director and Cormac McKervey, Senior Agriculture Manager, Ulster Bank, kick off the countdown to the 2026 Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank. The pair are joined by county Antrim farmer, John Cross, who received the award for Champion Clydesdale at the 2025 event. The countdown to Balmoral Show 2026 has officially begun, with the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) announcing that Ulster Bank will return as principal sponsor

Antrim-based Kinexc Energy raised more than £10,500 for Community Rescue Service – the company’s Charity of the Year for 2025 Five-figure donation supports suicide prevention and missing persons searches across Northern Ireland Antrim-based gas network operator Kinecx Energy has raised more than £10,500 for Community Rescue Service (CRS), providing a significant boost to the charity’s life-saving operations across Northern Ireland. A series of co-ordinated fundraising events

Inset: Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott has explained why he voted against Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s decision to strike the district rate for 2026/27 at a special council meeting, citing concerns over City Deal costs, long-term financial pressures and potential alternative savings for residents. On Monday night at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in The Braid, Ballymena, elected members voted 19 to 17 in

McKillen’s on Church Street, Ballymena launches its closing down sale on Wednesday morning as customers queue up looking for a bargain and taking one last opportunity to visit the much-loved local business Ballymena BID has said it is “deeply saddened” by news regarding McKillen’s of Ballymena, as the long-established Church Street retailer reaches its 100th year at the heart of the town centre. The Business Improvement District has urged the community to support the business

Elected members of the DUP party group on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Party says below-inflation rise safeguards services and delivers long-term investment The DUP has defended its decision to vote in favour of a 2.95% rates increase at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, arguing the move was necessary to protect frontline services while enabling significant long-term investment across Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. The DUP party group includes elected members R

Visual mockup of the Reception at The Bedford Hotel, Belfast A landmark Belfast building has been brought back into use following a multi-million-pound private investment, with The Bedford Hotel now open for bookings from May 2026, creating more than 100 jobs and strengthening confidence in the city’s hospitality and tourism sectors. The hotel is located within the Grade B1 listed Scottish Mutual Building at Donegall Square, a Scottish Baronial-style property dating back to 1

The proposed site for the new Home Bargains store in Antrim, and inset, the newly built Home Bargains store in Ballymena which opened in 2025 Plans for a major new Home Bargains store in Antrim have moved forward after Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council approved a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) submitted by TJ Morris Ltd. The approval marks the first formal stage in the planning process and paves the way for public consultation on proposals to develop a new discoun

Sinn Féin councillor in Ballymena, Bréanainn Lyness A Sinn Féin councillor in Ballymena has abstained from voting on a 2.95 per cent rates increase, breaking with party colleagues who supported the rise at Monday night’s rates-setting meeting. Bréanainn Lyness said he could not “in good conscience” back the increase, citing the continued decline of Ballymena town centre and the impact rising costs are having on local businesses and traders. During last night’s vote DUP, All

Galgorm Collection has donated funds to Kells and Connor Primary School to support the purchase of new iPads. Some of the pupils are pictured alongside Principal, Mr Finlay, Senior Teacher and ICT Lead, Mrs Richmond and Victoria Brown, Director of Marketing at Galgorm Collection.  Hospitality group Galgorm Collection has donated £1,000 to Kells and Connor Primary School , located just outside Ballymena, to support the purchase of new iPads for pupils, helping to strengthen d

Flory Dragomir, Food and Beverages Assistant at Galgorm Resort, part of Galgorm Collection, has been awarded a prestigious AA Courtesy and Care Award. A food and beverages assistant at the five-star Galgorm Resort in County Antrim has been recognised with a prestigious AA Courtesy and Care Award after impressing inspectors during a mystery overnight hotel inspection. Flory Dragomir, who works within Galgorm Resort’s food and beverages team , received the national award follow

Mid and East Antrim Council chamber Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will hold a special meeting this evening (Monday, 9 February) to strike the domestic and non-domestic rate for the 2026/27 financial year. For a second consecutive year, the local authority is expected to strike a single rate for households and businesses. Last-minute negotiations are likely to continue behind closed doors at The Braid in Ballymena, following a series of rates workshops held in recent mon

North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC The closure of McKillen’s on Church Street has been described as a devastating blow to Ballymena town centre, with North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC warning that rising overheads and business rates are “strangling” local retailers and accelerating the decline of the high street. In a strongly worded statement, Mr Allister said the loss of the century-old family business, coming shortly after the closure of Wyse Byse, marked a critical moment fo

McKillen’s on Church Street, Ballymena McKillen’s , the much-loved family-run department store that has stood at the heart of Ballymena town centre for a century, has announced it will close after 100 years of trading, bringing an era to an end on Church Street. Established by the McKillen family in 1926, the business has served generations of customers from across Ballymena and far beyond — from fitting children with their first pair of shoes to ensuring elderly customers re

Pictured: Colin Magee, Non-domestic Consumer Protection Manager at the Utility Regulator New electricity and gas licence rules come into force to improve transparency, fairness and switching rights The Utility Regulator has introduced new licence measures to strengthen protections for Northern Ireland’s small business electricity and gas consumers, with changes taking effect from 4 February 2026, aimed at improving transparency, fairness and engagement in the non-domestic ene

The Utility Regulator has confirmed that a formal review of regulated gas tariffs in Northern Ireland is now under way, covering domestic and small business customers supplied by SSE Airtricity Gas Supply and Firmus Energy , while electricity prices for Power NI customers remain under ongoing monitoring. The review applies to customers in the Greater Belfast and West gas areas, supplied by SSE Airtricity Gas Supply, and the Ten Towns area, supplied by Firmus Energy. The regu