NEWS

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick made a special visit to Creavery Primary School where children from the school and Creggan Primary School took part in a fun Healthy Kids session. Children from two primary schools came together for an energetic Healthy Kids session this week as Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council confirmed the programme has now reached more than 30 schools across the borough. The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillo

A person has died following a serious two-vehicle collision in County Tyrone on Sunday morning, prompting a police investigation and renewed appeals for witnesses and dash-cam footage. Emergency services were called to the Clanabogan Road area of Omagh at around 9.10am on Sunday, 17th May, after reports of a crash involving a Volvo and a Mazda. Police confirmed that despite the efforts of emergency responders, one person was pronounced dead at the scene. The fatal collision l

A woman remains in a serious condition in hospital following a major two-vehicle collision in Dunloy at the weekend, as police confirmed a man arrested after the crash has now been released on bail pending further enquiries. The collision happened on Bridge Road at around 7:10pm on Saturday, 16 May, and involved a grey Audi A3 and a silver Skoda Octavia. Emergency services rushed to the scene following reports of the crash, with the road closed for several hours while police

Inside Wrightbus during Manufacturing Month tour of its Ballymena site Wrightbus’s rapid expansion and growing global footprint have been hailed as a major economic boost for Ballymena and Mid and East Antrim, as local manufacturing leaders and council representatives toured the company’s flagship production facility during Manufacturing Month. The visit brought renewed focus to the scale of Wrightbus’s impact on the local economy, with the Ballymena-based manufacturer now pr

Pictured during a visit to The JAQ Group’s rapidly expanding headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Randalstown, are Tom Wiggins, Chief Executive of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce, Peter Houston, President of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce and Connor Martin, Managing Director of The JAQ Group. More than 30 members of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce were given a first-hand look inside one of Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing business success stories this week as they toured

Tender Baby Garlic Kale - one of a new range of vertically farmed leaves launched by M&S in the UK Marks & Spencer has launched a new range of vertically farmed salad leaves that use 96% less water than traditional farming methods while staying fresh for up to five days longer. The retailer says the new products represent a major shift in how fresh food could be grown in the future, combining robotics, controlled indoor farming and pesticide-free production to create salad le

The CAFRE Innovation Visit to the Netherlands will focus on genotyping, breeding evaluations and breeding technologies in dairy cows. Northern Ireland dairy farmers are being offered a rare opportunity to see some of the world’s most advanced breeding and genotyping technology in action as CAFRE launches applications for a specialist innovation visit to the Netherlands. The three-day study tour, taking place from Monday 31 August to Wednesday 2 September 2026, will place loca

A growing basketball club in Ballymena is making a fresh push to bring more girls into the sport as it looks to build future league teams and expand opportunities for young players across the area. Ballymena Basketball Juniors, which currently competes in the BNI Junior League, says it already has a strong group of girls attending weekly training sessions — but hopes more young players will now come forward as the club works towards arranging friendly matches and eventually e

A still Image from the NSPCC’s new campaign ‘Shift Ctrl’ Children across Northern Ireland and the UK are increasingly turning to Childline in fear that intimate images shared online could destroy their futures, as new figures reveal a dramatic rise in counselling sessions linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation. The NSPCC says children are being exposed to growing levels of harm on social media and digital platforms, with young people reporting blackmail, coercion, onl

Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council, Councillor Tracy Kelly pictured with social historian and history communicator Robyn Atcheson as they unveil a memorial plaque for over 10,000 people from the former Belfast Workhouse on the Donegall Road who were buried on the site in unmarked graves. More than 10,000 people buried in unmarked graves beside one of Belfast’s busiest roads have finally been formally recognised, as a permanent memorial plaque was unveiled at the site of the f

Detectives in Ballymena are appealing for information after a house in the Broughshane area was reportedly targeted twice within 48 hours, with cash stolen during the latest break-in. Police said entry was gained to a property in the Rathkeel Road area at around 2am on Sunday morning, 17th May, before a sum of cash was taken from inside the home. The incident has sparked fresh concern among residents in the rural area, particularly after detectives revealed they believe the s

Murdered: Nicholas “Nicky” Gordon Detectives investigating the murder of east Belfast man Nicholas “Nicky” Gordon have launched a new public evidence portal as they continue efforts to identify everyone involved in the fatal apartment building attack. Mr Gordon died in hospital on Saturday, 16 May, four days after he was seriously assaulted inside an apartment building in the Holywood Road area during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police believe the attack happened betw

The Ballymena Branch of Parkinson's UK enjoyed a Movement to Music session as part of World Parkinson's Day. People across Ballymena living with Parkinson’s — along with their families and carers — are being encouraged to reach out for support through a long-running local group that has spent nearly two decades helping residents navigate one of the world’s fastest-growing neurological conditions. Parkinson’s UK’s Ballymena and District Branch says nobody affected by the condi

A woman has been left with life-threatening injuries following a serious two-vehicle collision in Dunloy on Saturday evening, with a man in his 20s arrested at the scene on suspicion of a number of driving offences. Emergency services were called to the crash on Bridge Road at around 7.10pm on Saturday, 16 May, prompting a major response and the temporary closure of the road while police carried out investigations. The injured woman was taken to hospital for treatment, where

Smiles all round as Ready2Work Academy students stand outside Tuition Time with teachers and facilitators, celebrating the success of their showcase café event. A group of young people from Larne took a major step towards the world of work this week after stepping behind the counter to run a real café environment as part of a programme designed to help SEN school leavers build confidence and job-ready skills. Ten students from Roddensvale School showcased what they had learne

Former world boxing champion Carl Frampton In major new BBC documentary Carl Frampton: On Probation Former world boxing champion Carl Frampton has been granted unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Northern Ireland’s probation system in a major new BBC documentary series exploring crime, rehabilitation and the difficult reality of preventing reoffending. The six-part series, Carl Frampton: On Probation, marks the first time television cameras have been allowed such extens

One of Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing outdoor festivals is preparing for its biggest year yet as thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Dungiven this summer for a three-day spectacle of world-class tractor pulling, major country music acts, fireworks and family entertainment. Revvv It Up Festival returns to Revvv Park in the heart of the Sperrins from Friday July 17 to Sunday July 19, with organisers dramatically expanding the event after rapid growth since its

More than 8,700 people living with or in remission from blood cancer in Northern Ireland could be affected by a major new programme designed to expose weaknesses, inconsistencies and gaps in cancer care for the first time in over 15 years. A large-scale audit and epidemiological review has now been launched by Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI (LLNI) and Blood Cancer UK, working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) at Queen’s University Belfast. The programme

A 51-year-old man has died following a violent assault inside an apartment building in east Belfast, prompting detectives to launch a murder investigation. Police said Nicholas “Nicky” Gordon passed away after suffering serious injuries during an attack in the Holywood Road area earlier this week. The incident, which police believe happened at around 4.45am on Tuesday, 12 May, involved a group of intruders entering an apartment building before assaulting another man and fleei

One year after finishing second from bottom, Ballymena Norstar U13s have completed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in local youth sport by becoming Inline Hockey Ireland League Champions for 2026 — without losing a single match all season. The young Ballymena side sealed the title after a tense final-day showdown against the Dublin Flying Ducks in front of a packed crowd in Portadown, capping an unbeaten campaign that has turned the team into one of the standout success