NEWS

Saturday 26 September 2026 Charles Spencer has taken the number one spot at Waterstone’s Ballymena with Swan Song, heading a particularly family-friendly Top 10 which sees three books by Julia Donaldson make the chart. The newly released Gruffalo Granny takes second place, followed by another Donaldson favourite, Monkey Puzzle, at number three — while The Gruffalo’s Child also features at number seven. Elsewhere, Lee Child and Richard Osman continue to prove popular with Ball

Sunday 27 September 2026 Beef and dairy farmers in the Ballymena area taking part in Northern Ireland’s Bovine Genetics Project can now use free local drop-off points to return DNA samples collected from their cattle. The service is designed to make participation in the new genotyping scheme easier, allowing farmers to leave samples locally rather than relying on posting them directly to the laboratory. Four collection points serving the wider Ballymena and North Antrim area

Sunday 27 September 2026 A yellow weather warning has come into force across most of Northern Ireland this morning, with heavy rain expected to bring difficult travelling conditions in places. The Met Office warning is in force from 8.30am until 2pm today, Sunday 27 September, and covers every county except Fermanagh. Up to 40mm possible in a few hours Rain is expected to become heavy at times during the morning, with some locations potentially receiving between 20mm and 40mm

Friday 25 September 2026 Families across Mid and East Antrim can look forward to three days of Halloween entertainment this October, with fireworks, spooky trails, live performances, fancy dress, discos and town centre activities planned across Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus. Events will run from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October, with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council publishing an evolving programme of family-focused activities taking place throughout the borough. Th

Friday 25 September 2026 A 35-year-old man was arrested after police stopped and searched a vehicle in the Lisnevenagh Road area near Ballymena on Thursday, 24 September, leading to the seizure of a large amount of cash and a subsequent drugs search in Lisburn. Police said the vehicle had been located after officers received a report of it being driven erratically in the Frosses Road area of Ballymoney. Cash and car seized Inspector McGillan said: “Officers from our Local Pol

Farmers’ Choir NI Committee Members attending NI Farming Awards at the Culloden Hotel More than 40 members of Farmers’ Choir NI are back rehearsing in Ballymena for a new season — and they already have plenty to sing about after earning recognition at both Northern Ireland and UK level. The cross-community choir, which brings together farmers, people working in agriculture and members of rural communities, has reached the final of the Making Music UK Group of the Year Award 2

Past participants Leah Baxter-Leslie, Nicki McNeill and Anjali Jose pictured with Naomi Hutchinson, NFSU Business Support Manager, Brigid McNabb, key trainer with Academy, and Dr Windsor Murdock, non-executive member NFSU. Thursday 24 September 2026 A programme designed to help local people into work while tackling recruitment needs in GP surgeries has recorded a 53% employment outcome after expanding from a Mid and East Antrim pilot to four academies in just 18 months. From

Thursday 24 September 2026 A driver has been arrested near Ballymena on suspicion of being unfit through drink or drugs after police stopped a vehicle which they say was also being used in a dangerous condition. The stop was made in the Lettercreeve area on Wednesday afternoon, 23 September, after officers from Ballymena District Support Team spotted what police described as a moving road traffic offence while on mobile patrol. Tyre condition highlighted by police Following

Thursday 24 September 2026 More people are now dying than being born in Mid and East Antrim, marking a striking reversal from little more than a decade ago as the borough’s population becomes older and overall growth stalls. New population estimates published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) today reveal a wider demographic change unfolding across Northern Ireland — but the picture across the greater County Antrim area is particularly revealing.

Justice Minister Naomi Long is pictured with Kelly Andrews, Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, Michelle Martin, AssistNI, and Rhonda Lusty – Men’s Advisory Project, at an event to mark five years of ASSIST NI, recognising the important role of advocacy in supporting victims of domestic and sexual abuse across Northern Ireland. Thursday 24 September 2026 Victims of domestic and sexual abuse across Northern Ireland are being helped to navigate the criminal justice system with de

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured at Larne Rugby Football Club with Sophia Dorman, Derek Lough, President Larne RFC, Richard Archibald, Interim CEO Sport NI and Ollie Swann at the announcement of a £2million funding package for the Minister’s Olympic Legacy Fund for 2026/27. Thursday 24 September 2026 Sports clubs in Ballymena and across Northern Ireland have a fresh opportunity to improve facilities and buy new equipment after £2million was made available through th

Site for Lidl’s proposed new concept store in Ballymena Thursday 24 September 2026 Plans for one of Northern Ireland’s largest Lidl stores have come under fresh scrutiny after independent retail experts said they are not yet satisfied that the need for the major Ballymena development has been demonstrated — or that it would avoid significant adverse impacts on the town centre. The findings are contained in a detailed independent Retail Audit commissioned by Mid and East Antri

Nala pictured in her new home after benefiting from Dogs Trust new ‘Homestay’ initiative Wednesday 23 September 2026 Dogs Trust Ballymena is highlighting a new rehoming option designed to help owners who can no longer keep their dog — while allowing their pet to remain at home until a new family is found. New option aims to avoid kennel stays The charity’s Homestay service allows eligible dogs to move directly from their existing home to a new one, rather than first entering

Wednesday 23 September 2026 Residents across Mid and East Antrim can now check their bin collection information and report a missed collection through a streamlined online service launched by the borough council. The new waste and recycling dashboard is intended to give households quicker access to everyday collection information, including real-time updates when services change. Check collections and report missed bins Residents can use the dashboard from home to check their

Christopher Houston Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team are investigating the death of a 42-year-old man following an assault in Ballymena at the weekend. Mr Christopher Houston, who was also known as “Cricki”, died on Tuesday night after spending several days in hospital with a serious head injury. Thoughts with Christopher’s family and friends Detective Chief Inspector Hazel Miller said: “We can confirm that Mr Christopher Houst

McDonald’s Ballymena where McHappy Day will be celebrated this upcoming weekend Wednesday 23 September 2026 Northern Ireland has emerged as one of the UK’s most generous regions in a new survey released ahead of the first McHappy Day in the UK and Ireland this weekend. McDonald’s commissioned the research before the fundraising day on Saturday 26 September, when £1 from every qualifying main meal sold will be donated to Ronald McDonald House UK and Ronald McDonald House Irela

CGI giving an impression of what the new CRS Ballymena base could look like when constructed. Image: © Love Ballymena 2026 Tuesday 22 September 2026 Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is considering a planning application for a new purpose-built training centre and station in Ballymena for the Community Rescue Service (CRS). The proposal would see a single-storey building constructed at Kernohan’s Lane, around 70 metres from the Ecos Centre, together with 28 car parking spac

Tuesday 22 September 2026 Ballymena’s Merchant Fish and Chips has been named among the UK’s top 40 fish and chip takeaways, putting the local business back in contention for one of the industry’s biggest national honours. The Merchant is one of just four Northern Ireland businesses to make the longlist for Takeaway of the Year at the National Fish & Chip Awards, which are now in their 39th year. Ballymena chippy back in national spotlight The recognition continues a strong ru

The scene of the incident where a home was attacked on Monday evening in Ballymena. Police are investigating after a window was smashed at a flat in Ballykeel, Ballymena, in an incident being treated as a hate crime. The criminal damage happened at a property in the Orkney Drive area on Monday night, 21 September, and was reported to police at around 9.30pm. Police have not disclosed the nature of the suspected hate motivation or provided further details about the circumstanc

CGI design drawing for the proposed new i4C CleanTech Centre at St Patrick’s Link, in Ballymena. Tuesday 22 September 2026 Mid and East Antrim ratepayers face the continuing financial impact of an operating deficit at Ballymena’s proposed £27.3 million i4C Innovation and CleanTech Centre — but Council has refused to disclose how large it expects that deficit to be. The local authority has confirmed it will meet the operating deficit and that the commitment has already been in