NEWS

Percy Pig celebrates M&S Food Outlet launching at Applegreen Ballymena Shoppers in Ballymena can now pick up their favourite Marks & Spencer treats on the go after a new M&S Food outlet opened today at the town’s Applegreen site. The new store introduces the popular “shop within a shop” concept to Ballymena, bringing more than 400 M&S Food products to the location and marking the fourth partnership site between M&S and Applegreen in Northern Ireland. From fresh fruit and sala

Pictured are Claudia Jones, Northern Ireland Hospice Corporate Relations Manager, with Menarysstaff members Melissa Gormley, Marketing Manager, Aileen Murnion, Area Manager, and Linda Thompson, Store Manager at Menarys Lisburn. A well-known Northern Ireland department store group has launched a new year-long partnership aimed at supporting specialist hospice care for families across the region. Menarys has named Northern Ireland Hospice as its Charity of the Year for 2026, wi

Antrim Area Hospital car park Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has tabled draft legislation to defer the abolition of hospital parking charges, citing financial pressures on the health system. The draft Hospital Parking Charges Bill was introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly this week. If passed, it will delay the full implementation of the Hospital Parking Charges (NI) Act 2022, which provides for a ban on charging vehicles in hospital car parks. Delay driven by funding pr

Mark McKane (middle) after scooping the club lifted Ulster Squash Club of the Year 2025, with Ben and Daniel McKane, representing Ballymena Squash Club at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. A squash club formed just two years ago is already reshaping the sport locally — with Ballymena Squash Club crowned Ulster Squash Club of the Year 2025 and its driving force Mark McKane recognised nationally as Squash Ireland Volunteer of the Year . The double recognition marks a significant m

Pictured launching a new initiative aimed at stamping out smoking on hospital sites are Northern Trust Medical Director, Dr George Gardiner; Round Tower Integrated Primary School and Nursery Unit Principal, Mrs Monica Turner with pupils from P2 and P5 Local schoolchildren are being invited to lend their voices to a new campaign aimed at discouraging smoking outside hospital entrances — with the hope that hearing a child’s message could make smokers pause, reflect, and even co

Pictured Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA, Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee TD and Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA A meeting between Ulster Unionist Party leaders and Ireland’s Foreign Minister has placed legacy issues from the Troubles and regional security firmly back on the political agenda. Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA , accompanied by Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA , met Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee TD on Monday (February 9) in what he described as a “constructiv

The scale and human impact of a major Police Ombudsman investigation into alleged historic sexual offences by a former police officer are now becoming clear, as investigators confirm multiple potential victims, numerous witnesses and a large body of evidence. The former officer was arrested by Police Ombudsman investigators in December 2025 on suspicion of committing more than ten non-recent offences, including rape, other sexual offences and misconduct in public office. The

Gary Hegarty, owner of Mindful Gardens reflects on the benefits of changing his career and returning to education by studying Horticulture at CAFRE Greenmount Campus. After nearly two decades designing sports pages for a national newspaper, Gary Hegarty found himself facing a turning point — one shaped by rapid technological change and a growing desire to work closer to the natural world. Today, he runs his own garden design business, Mindful Gardens. But the path from newsr

Shutters down: The changing face of Ballymena town centre. Church Street, Ballymena. Business leaders across Mid and East Antrim have issued a stark warning to councillors: town centres are entering a period of accelerating decline — and without urgent intervention the damage could become irreversible. In coordinated correspondence sent directly by email to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s elected representatives, the chairs of Larne Business Forum and Ballymena Business

Businesses across Northern Ireland are being urged to prepare for sweeping changes to the way food, animals and plants move between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the European Union, as negotiations continue on a new UK-EU trade agreement designed to cut red tape and speed up trade. The UK Government says the proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement could make agrifood trade “easier, cheaper and quicker”, potentially transforming supply chains for farmers, r

Mason Keilhauer, from the Shankill area A community in Belfast is mourning the loss of an 11-year-old boy who has died following a road traffic collision on the Shankill Road on Saturday evening. The child has been named by police as Mason Keilhauer, from the Shankill area. He died after being struck by a vehicle shortly after 7pm. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers received a report of a collision involving a grey BMW X5 and a male pedestrian near th

A community standing and walking together in memory of Chloe Mitchell and in solidarity with the Mitchell and McDowell families. A moving vigil in Ballymena has brought a community together once again to honour the memory of Chloe Mitchell and show solidarity with her family ahead of the continuation of court proceedings later this week. The gathering, held in the Harryville area on Sunday 8 March, coincided with International Women’s Day and drew members of the local communi

Senior officials from the Department for Communities will face further scrutiny at Stormont this week after a key Assembly committee criticised the department’s latest update on tackling child poverty as “wholly inadequate”. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recalled departmental representatives to provide fresh oral evidence on Thursday, 12 March, amid mounting concern about the pace of progress on the Child Poverty Strategy in Northern Ireland. The move follows a stro

Pictured: Conall Donnelly, Chief Executive, Ulster Farmers’ Union The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has entered a new chapter as Conall Donnelly formally stepped into the role of Chief Executive last week, taking on one of the most influential leadership positions in Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector. Mr Donnelly’s appointment, first confirmed in September, marks a significant transition for the organisation as it navigates a period of major change for farming across North

Some of the team of Martin & Hamilton Construction at their Ballymena head office handing over the cheque to Jessica Steele from Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice A Ballymena construction company has helped deliver a significant boost for families facing some of life’s toughest challenges after raising £15,000 for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Martin & Hamilton Construction presented the cheque last week after naming Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice as its Charit

Galgorm Collection is donating funding to Braidwater Seniors to enable them to knit hats and blankets for babies in Antrim Area Hospital. Tara Moore, third from left, Associate Director of Spa Operations at Galgorm Collection and Julie Elliott, nurse practitioner at Antrim Area Hospital are pictured with members of Braidwater Seniors . A group of Ballymena knitters are preparing to spend the coming months crafting tiny hats and blankets for newborn babies in hospital — a

The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough, County Antrim Less than a year after reopening following a major redevelopment, Carnlough’s Harbourview Hotel has been named the best place to stay in Northern Ireland in the prestigious Best Places to Stay 2026 guide by The Times and The Sunday Times . The recognition places the seafront hotel firmly among the UK’s standout hospitality destinations, with judges praising what they described as Ireland’s first whisky hotel for its “live mus

The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life can shape their future health, education and wellbeing — and experts say getting support right during that window is critical. Leaders from across Northern Ireland’s health, education and community sectors gathered to launch a refreshed Infant Mental Health Framework and Action Plan designed to strengthen support for families from pregnancy through to a child’s third birthday. The updated framework, announced by Health Minister Mike Nesbi

A special event at Stormont will bring together survivors and families affected by terrorism to mark European Day for Victims of Terrorism, with powerful personal testimonies set to highlight the lasting human cost of violence. The annual commemoration, organised by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), will take place in the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings at 11am on Monday 9 March, with refreshments available from 10:30am. Announcing the event, TUV MLA Timothy Gaston sa

Education Minister Paul Givan pictured at the launch of the SEN Reform Training project with project participants and representatives from the five further education colleges involved in delivering the project. A new training initiative aimed at strengthening early support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) has been officially launched by Education Minister Paul Givan, placing a renewed focus on equipping classroom assistants with specialist skills during the e