NEWS

Victim of road traffic collision: 31-year-old Matthew McIlroy The man who died following a single-vehicle collision in Ballyclare on Friday evening has been named by police as 31-year-old Matthew McIlroy, from the County Antrim area. Emergency services were called to the scene on Green Road at around 6.45pm on Friday, June 26, following reports that a black Audi A5 had crashed and overturned. Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland attended alongside colleagues f

Melissa Thompson graduates from Queen's with a BSW in Social Work A promise made to her late father, a childhood shaped by care and adoption, and the determination to build a better future for her young son have all come together for one Northern Ireland graduate as she celebrates achieving a lifelong ambition. Today, Saturday 27 June, Melissa Thompson graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work from Queen’s University Belfast, fulfilling a dream she says began when she was just

Inset: Ulster Unionist Party education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows The appointment of a new independent behaviour adviser for Northern Ireland schools must lead to meaningful change in classrooms rather than simply creating another title, Ulster Unionist education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows has said. Responding to Education Minister Paul Givan’s announcement this week of a review of school behaviour policy and the appointment of behaviour expert T

A man in his thirties has sadly died following a single-vehicle collision in County Antrim on Friday evening. Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on Green Road area of Ballyclare at approximately 6.45pm on Friday, June 26, after reports that a black Audi A5 had crashed and overturned. Police officers attended alongside colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Despite the efforts of emergency resp

Political fallout intensified across unionism on Friday night after a special edition of BBC Spotlight examining the double life of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson prompted renewed scrutiny over what was known, when it was known, and who, if anyone, failed to act. The programme, presented by investigative journalist Mandy McAuley and titled Politician, Predator and Paedophile, examined how one of the most powerful figures in modern Northern Ireland politics was able to ri

People living with obesity in Northern Ireland will soon be able to refer themselves directly into NHS weight management services without needing to wait for a GP appointment, under a major new UK-wide programme backed by £85 million in government and industry funding. The move forms part of a series of pioneering projects designed to transform how obesity care is delivered across the UK, using technology, digital services and community-based support to make help easier and f

The community of Glenravel are inviting the public from near and far to browse everything from handcrafted ceramics and woodwork to brownies, books and South African flavours as the Glenravel Summer Market returns to Martinstown Parish Hall this weekend. The community event takes place on Sunday, June 28, running from 11am until 4pm, and will bring together a diverse mix of local makers, artists, bakers and small businesses from across the area and beyond. With more than 20 t

21-year-old man Shane Caufield A 21-year-old man has died following a single-vehicle road traffic collision in Maguiresbridge in the early hours of Friday morning. The victim has been named as Shane Caulfield, who was from the Portadown area. Police said the collision occurred at approximately 1.30am on Friday, June 26, on the Belfast Road in Maguiresbridge and involved a grey Volkswagen Golf. Victim pronounced dead at the scene Detective Inspector Stewart from the PSNI’s Col

Broughshane actor James Nesbitt will join a spectacular line-up of supercars, family attractions and fundraising activities this weekend as Clarke prepares to stage its biggest-ever Charity Car Show in Ballymena. The much-loved local event returns on Saturday 27th June at Clarke HQ on Raceview Road and organisers believe this year’s show could be the largest and most ambitious since it first launched three years ago. With a Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo and multiple Lamborghin

Ballymena couple Joy and David Wright “It gives you a spark and a spring in your step, it’s just amazing.” That is how a Ballymena couple describe the experience of providing short break foster care for children with disabilities as they encourage others across Northern Ireland to consider opening their homes to children and families in need of support. David and Joy Wright have seen first-hand the difference short break fostering can make — not only for children with disabil

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Henry Cushinan, congratulates sisters Aislinn (far right) and Meagan Joyce on the launch of Randalstown’s new walking group, The Maine Walkers. Also pictured is Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Walking for All Officer, Bridie Kelly. Residents in Randalstown are being invited to lace up their walking shoes and explore their local area as two sisters launch a new community walking group aimed at improving health, wellbei

The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has described today as “quite a challenging day” for operational teams as consultants and specialist doctors took part in 24-hour industrial action. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust Board at Antrim Hospital on Thursday morning, Suzanne Pullins acknowledged colleagues taking part in the strike and thanked everyone who had worked to make Northern Trust services “as safe as possible today”. “We never know

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir with members of the Glens Red Squirrel Group The volunteers behind one of the Glens of Antrim’s best-known wildlife conservation groups are celebrating more than a decade of investment after receiving over £11,700 in funding to help protect Northern Ireland’s native red squirrel and strengthen community engagement. The milestone was highlighted during a visit by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir to the Glens Red Squirrel Group, where he marked the wider su

Families flying with Ryanair will see a change to how their seats are allocated from today (Thursday, June 25), after Europe’s largest airline announced a tweak to its long-standing family seating policy. The airline says parents who choose not to pay to reserve seats in advance will now receive their family seating allocation free of charge only after checking in for their flight, bringing its approach into line with what it describes as the industry standard across Europe.

Ballymena Magistrates’ Court A farmer has been banned from owning or keeping animals after a court heard serious animal welfare failings led to 19 calves being euthanised because they were suffering unnecessarily. Ian Wilson, 55, of Ballydermot Lane, Bellaghy, appeared before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court today where he was sentenced for ten offences under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and one offence under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) Regulations

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Northern Ireland, with forecasters warning that heavy showers and thunderstorms could bring disruption to parts of the region on Friday morning. The Met Office warning comes into effect from 12:00am until 10:00am on Friday, 26 June 2026, with the potential for intense downpours, hail and frequent lightning where storms develop. While not every area will be affected, the Met Office says some places could experience sudden bursts of

Underwater seagrass meadow. A protected seagrass meadow off the County Antrim coast at Waterfoot has been found to contain more nitrogen than scientists consider healthy, after researchers discovered every seagrass meadow tested across Northern Ireland had exceeded an internationally recognised pollution warning threshold. The Queen’s University Belfast study examined the amount of nitrogen stored inside seagrass leaves — a natural record of the pollution the plants have been

(L-R) Isobel Harris, Maria Cairns, Brenda Stewart, Mark Killough, Hannah McDowell, Joanne Mooney, Bri Carleton, Nicholas Porter, CJ Hayes, David Glass and store manager Kevin Killough. A Ballymena convenience store has been recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s top fundraising Centra outlets after helping raise thousands of pounds to support vital cancer detection services across the region. McCool’s Centra Ballymena raised £2,389 for Action Cancer during 2025, earning reco

Education Minister Paul Givan pictured with Tom Bennett who will lead on a review of behaviour policy and practice across schools. The way behaviour is managed in schools across Northern Ireland is set for a major review after Education Minister Paul Givan announced an independent examination aimed at helping teachers deal with increasingly complex behavioural challenges in the classroom. The review will shape a new Department of Education Behaviour Policy and updated practic

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Patients across Northern Ireland are being urged to attend appointments as normal despite planned industrial action by doctors over the coming days, with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt insisting that more than 90% of Health and Social Care services will continue as scheduled. The reassurance comes ahead of a 24-hour period of industrial action by consultants and Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors, due to begin at 7am on Thursday 25 Ju