NEWS

A yellow weather warning is in force across Northern Ireland today as forecasters warn that intense thunderstorms could bring torrential downpours, lightning, hail and gusty winds. The Met Office warning covers all six counties and is in place from 11am today, Thursday 13 August, until 6am on Friday. While many places could escape the worst of the weather altogether, thunderstorms that do develop could produce 10–20mm of rain in less than an hour, with a chance of isolated lo

A recently damaged slide at a local play park Vandalism at local play parks and community facilities has left play equipment damaged, forced areas to close to families and disrupted activities supporting vulnerable children, prompting calls for tougher action against persistent offenders. Braid Ulster Unionist representatives Councillor Alan Barr and Samantha Patton say recent incidents have included broken glass in play areas, destroyed slides and vandalised trampolines, lea

Northern Regional College lecturer, Colin Wright, who has been shortlisted for a prestigious hospitality award. A Northern Regional College lecturer who is helping train the next generation of chefs has been shortlisted for one of Northern Ireland’s leading hospitality awards. Professional Cookery Lecturer Colin Wright has been named a finalist for Lecturer of the Year at the 2026 Institute of Hospitality Northern Ireland Awards, recognising his work developing students’ culi

Jo Bamford CBE flanked with the Ryze Power team - Head of Engineering Pratik Nayek, Head of Power at HydraB Steven Hardman and Ryze senior engineer Jay Acanthe. Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus has played a supporting role in a remarkable feat of British engineering after a hydrogen-powered supercar smashed a world land speed record at more than 406mph. Wrightbus owner Jo Bamford CBE said expertise developed through almost a decade of hydrogen work helped provide the refu

Wednesday 12 August 2026 Residents concerned about plans for a major new National Football Centre near Galgorm will gather in Ballymena on Thursday evening to hear the latest on the proposal and the campaign opposing its location. The public meeting, organised by the Right Facility, Wrong Location campaign, will take place at 6pm at the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena, with residents and others interested in the development invited to attend. At the centre of the debate is a su

A 26-year-old man arrested following two attacks on a war memorial in Ballymena has been released on bail as police continue their investigation. The man was arrested on Tuesday 11 August, on suspicion of theft and criminal damage in connection with incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville. Police have now confirmed today, Wednesday 12 August, that he has since been released on bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out. The development comes after the

A still taken from a short video captured by the local woman of the vehicle which she believes was following her as she took a walk A woman has described being left frightened while walking alone on the outskirts of Ballymena after a car containing two men allegedly repeatedly followed her, passed her and then waited along her route. Police have confirmed they received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Old Ballymoney Road area on Sunday evening, 9 August, and are now as

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon and Roy Smyth, Chairman of Ballymena BID get ready to promote a day of colour and fun in Ballymena. Ballymena will celebrate its 400th birthday with a day of family entertainment, storytelling, music and community events before fireworks light up the sky over the town on Tuesday 25 August. The programme will mark 400 years since the signing of Ballymena’s Charter in 1626, with celebrations running from the morning through t

Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has welcomed the arrest of a 26-year-old man following two attacks on a Ballymena war memorial, while stressing that the police investigation remains ongoing. The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage following incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville on Saturday, 8 August and Monday, 10 August. Police have previously sai

The War Memorial in Ballymena that was damaged on two occasion in recent days. A 26-year-old man has been arrested after two attacks on a Ballymena war memorial which police are treating as linked sectarian-motivated hate crimes. The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage following incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville on Saturday, 8 August and Monday, 10 August. Police confirmed today, Tuesday 11 August, that the 26-year-old remains in cust

Emma’s daughter Mya sharing hugs with Jimmy A Cullybackey mum whose children have been left heartbroken after their beloved young cat was killed by a snare is calling for all snares to be banned in Northern Ireland — saying she was shocked to discover that the devices are not completely outlawed here. Jimmy was less than a year old when he was discovered caught in a snare and hanging helplessly from a tree on Saturday, 8 August. His family rushed him to a vet, but nothing cou

The Five Apples Project in People’s Park, Ballymena North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has called for park wardens to be equipped with body-worn cameras after the latest vandalism at Ballymena’s People’s Park, where public art features were damaged and a fixed litter bin was set on fire. Both Burrows and the local policing team have also called for parents to step up and take responsibility. The latest incident comes little more than a month after a council park warden was threaten

CGI artist’s impression of the proposed new i4C CleanTech Centre in Ballymena People in Ballymena will get their first opportunity this week to examine plans for a new four-storey Innovation and CleanTech Centre proposed for the former St Patrick’s Barracks site. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is beginning a statutory public consultation on its proposed i4C development, with an in-person event taking place at the ECOS Hub on Wednesday, 12 August. The project would create

A Ballymena war memorial has been vandalised for the second time in three days, with police now confirming they believe both attacks are linked and are treating them as sectarian-motivated hate crimes. Independent Ballymena Councillor Rodney Quigley said he was furious after the Queen Street memorial in Harryville was targeted again in the early hours of Monday, 10 August, with flags stolen and flag poles damaged. The latest incident came after the memorial was attacked early

The aftermath of the Ballymena Bombing, an IRA firebombing attack that killed 27-year-old mother of three Yvonne Dunlop on 9 October 1976. The perpetrator, Thomas McElwee, subsequently starved himself to death on hunger strike. Pictured, Yvonne Dunlop. TUV representatives have strongly criticised First Minister Michelle O’Neill after she attended a commemoration for IRA hunger striker Thomas McElwee, who was imprisoned for his involvement in the 1976 Ballymena firebombing in

St Patrick’s housing development in Ballymena A new community hub bringing health, welfare, housing and policing support directly to residents of Ballymena’s St Patrick’s development will officially open this week. Radius Housing will launch the new St Patrick’s Community Hub on Thursday 13 August, creating a dedicated space within the 135-home development where tenants can access regular advice clinics and community services close to home. The Hub has been developed followin

The scene of the vandalism, which police are treating as a hate crime, at a community memorial in the Harryville area of Ballymena A Ballymena memorial to local men who died at the Battle of the Somme has been vandalised for the second time in three nights — just hours after its flags were replaced following the first attack. Independent Ballymena Councillor Rodney Quigley confirmed on Monday morning, 10 August, that the Queen Street memorial in Harryville had again been targ

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans has taken the number one spot at Waterstone’s Ballymena this week, leading a Top 10 that brings together contemporary fiction, science fiction, thrillers, Irish literary classics and poetry. There is plenty more for local book lovers to explore during August, with Waterstone’s Ballymena unveiling its latest Books of the Month across fiction, thriller, fantasy, non-fiction, Irish writing, children’s and young adult categories. The selection

North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows talks with RetailNI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts during a visit to Fullan’s Foodhall in Portglenone North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has urged people to support independent retailers on their doorstep, saying local shops remain a vital source of jobs and community services at a time when many businesses are facing “significant pressures”. Mr Burrows made the comments following a visit to EUROSPAR Portglenone as part of Retail NI’s High Street Heroes c

The community memorial after it was vandalised on Saturday morning in Ballymena. Independent Ballymena councillor Rodney Quigley has said he is “absolutely disgusted” after a memorial dedicated to Queen Street men who lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme was vandalised and flags stolen overnight. The flagpole at the community memorial in the Harryville area of Ballymena was torn down and two Somme memorial flags stolen in an incident understood to have happened overnig