NEWS

Ballymena Rail and Bus Centre Motorists and public transport passengers in Ballymena are being warned to expect disruption for much of the summer as major roadworks linked to the expansion of the town’s Park & Ride facility get underway from Monday, 1 June. The works, centred around the busy Galgorm Road and Waveney Road junction near Ballymena Train Station, are expected to continue until the end of August 2026 as part of a significant upgrade project aimed at dramatically i

Thousands of households across Northern Ireland are facing another rise in energy costs this summer after both Power NI and firmus energy announced significant price increases coming into force from 1 July. The twin increases mean many families already under pressure from rising living costs will now see both electricity and gas bills climb again within weeks, with suppliers blaming global wholesale markets, network charges and ongoing international conflict for the latest hi

McGroggan’s shop on William Street, serving up its last scoops of ice cream after 103 years in Ballymena town centre McGroggan’s owner Patricia McGroggan has spoken of the heartbreak behind the closure of the iconic Ballymena ice cream shop, revealing how soaring costs, collapsing town centre footfall, Brexit disruption and changing shopping habits ultimately brought an end to the 103-year-old family business. The William Street shop — famous across generations for its vanill

Patients across Northern Ireland who have spent years waiting for surgery and treatment are set to benefit from a major new funding commitment after Health Minister Mike Nesbitt confirmed £80 million will be ringfenced next year to expand elective care capacity and cut some of the health service’s longest waiting lists. The funding package, confirmed during a visit to the Mater Hospital’s Elective Overnight Stay Centre in Belfast, will support waiting list reduction work duri

Lidl’s first pub in Northern Ireland – ‘The Middle Ale’ A supermarket trip to one Lidl will soon come with the option of sitting down for a pint after the retailer confirmed its first-ever Northern Ireland pub, The Middle Ale, is set to open next month. The new public house and off-sales at Lidl’s existing Dundonald store in County Down marks a major step into Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector for the discount retailer, with the project bringing more than £500,000 of inve

Women across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to explore a career in firefighting as Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service prepares to launch a major recruitment drive for Wholetime Firefighters next month. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has announced a series of hands-on “Come and Try Days” aimed specifically at women interested in joining the service, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the demands, realities and opportunities of modern firefig

Farmers across Northern Ireland are facing a growing rural crime crisis after new figures revealed losses surged to £2.2 million last year — despite rural crime falling across the rest of the UK. The sharp rise has prompted the Ulster Farmers’ Union to demand stronger intervention from Stormont and tougher support for frontline policing, warning that theft, vandalism and organised rural criminality are placing already struggling farm businesses under even greater pressure. Ac

Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital Emergency departments across Northern Ireland are becoming dangerously overcrowded as a result of a new ambulance handover policy designed to speed up patient transfers, according to frontline emergency medicine leaders. A snap survey carried out by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has revealed that more than half of Emergency Department Clinical Leads believe the policy is worsening conditions inside already stretche

Cullybackey Orange Hall and arch stand proudly in the village Cullybackey is set to host a landmark moment in the local parading calendar next month as Ballymena District LOL No. 8 brings its first-ever District Mini 12th parade to the village in what organisers are describing as a major community celebration. The historic event, taking place on Saturday 27 June 2026, is expected to draw families, supporters, bands and spectators from across the wider Ballymena area for a day

Another major order for electric buses has been placed with Ballymena manufacturer Wrightbus, strengthening the company’s growing role at the centre of the UK’s transition to cleaner public transport and securing further work for Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector. Transport for Greater Manchester has confirmed an additional order for 125 electric buses for the Bee Network, with the fleet to be built by Wrightbus as the region pushes towards a fully electric bus network

Nine-year-old Ballymena boy Joshua Mairs who underwent emergency surgery in the Royal Victoria Hospital after being hit by an e-scooter in Cullybackey A nine-year-old boy has undergone surgery for a shattered elbow after being knocked down in a collision involving an e-scooter in Cullybackey — forcing his family to cancel a long-planned holiday and prompting a fresh warning to parents about the dangers of the illegal machines. Joshua Mairs was walking back from Cullybackey Pa

A man was taken to hospital after being stabbed during a motorcycle event in Carrickfergus on Wednesday evening, prompting a major police appeal for witnesses and footage from members of the public. Detectives said the incident happened in the Rodgers Quay area of the town shortly after 7.30pm during the popular ‘Storming the Castle’ bike meet near Carrickfergus Castle. Police said the victim suffered a stab wound to the chest along with head injuries following an altercation

At the launch of the new Chatty Bench at Devenagh Way, Ballymena: Mid & East Antrim Mayor Jackson Minford; Councillor Brian Thompson; Roy McClean, Housing Executive; Marjorie Hawkins, Chair of the Loneliness Network; Councillor Bréanainn Lyness; with some local residents. Two new ‘Chatty Benches’ have been installed in Ballymena as part of an ongoing effort to tackle loneliness and social isolation across Mid and East Antrim. The latest benches — located at The Rectory Estat

Police are investigating after a man was stabbed in a Ballymena housing estate during the early hours of Thursday morning. Emergency services were called to the Dunclug Park area shortly before 7.45am on Thursday 28 May following reports of a stabbing. It is understood Northern Ireland Air Ambulance also was tasked to the incident. The male victim received medical treatment at the scene before being taken for further care. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening

Police are investigating after a pipe bomb exploded outside an occupied home in Broughshane late on Wednesday night, causing extensive damage and leaving residents shaken but unharmed. The attack happened in the Rectory Gardens area at around 11pm on Wednesday, May 27, when a device was reportedly placed on the living room window ledge of the property while three people were inside. The explosion caused major damage to the home, blowing out windows and damaging the living roo

Children at Ski Ability NI – a Craigavon-based charity that provides ski instruction on a dry ski slope for children with additional needs. The charity benefitted from Fibrus funding in 2025. Northern Ireland broadband provider Fibrus has launched a new £50,000 funding programme aimed at helping grassroots sports clubs across Northern Ireland secure vital equipment, improve facilities and expand opportunities for young people. Now entering its fourth year, the Fibrus Play it

Portrush RNLI Inshore Lifeboat ‘The Ken Blair’ Two kayakers were rescued off the north coast on Wednesday afternoon after getting into difficulty in the water near Ramore Head in Portrush. Volunteer crew members from RNLI were called into action after reports that two people had ended up in the sea alongside their kayaks just off the popular coastal headland. The incident prompted the launch of the Portrush RNLI Inshore Lifeboat, with the rescue operation unfolding shortly af

Kilrea Primary School Kilrea Primary School is set for significant changes under newly-submitted plans that would bring a temporary specialist teaching unit to the site alongside major safety upgrades aimed at tackling what planners describe as “significant safeguarding concerns”. The proposals, lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, centre on growing educational needs at the school as well as long-standing worries over pupil safety linked to access arrangement

Miss NI Carly Wilson (bottom right) recently joined NI Hospice staff to launch Purple Dash Northern Ireland Hospice is calling on families across Northern Ireland to “dash for a cause” this June as the charity launches a major public campaign to celebrate 25 years of Children’s Hospice care — while also confronting the harsh financial reality facing one of the region’s most vital services. The charity is turning the entire month purple as part of a large-scale awareness and f

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long The Department of Justice has pulled its controversial consultation on firearms licensing fees following mounting opposition from rural and sporting communities across Northern Ireland, in a move being welcomed as a significant climbdown by critics of the proposals. The consultation had proposed changes aimed at achieving full cost recovery for firearms licensing, potentially increasing the financial burden on certificate holders a