NEWS

Planning permission has been approved for a major new sports and community hub at Roger Casement GAC following a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee at The Braid in Ballymena last week. The development at Gortgole Road will include a multi-purpose pavilion, floodlit 4G playing field, play park, spectator terraces, additional car parking, landscaping, fencing and associated site works. The proposal also includes a new access onto Lovers Lane and

Planning image of proposed new National Football Centre near Galgorm A major new National Football Centre proposed for a 50-acre site near Galgorm and Cullybackey is already generating strong local debate, with residents raising concerns over how the large-scale development could transform the surrounding rural area. The proposed Irish Football Association (IFA) complex, submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, would include six football pitches, spectator stands, fl

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

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 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

Main pitch at Ballymena Showgrounds Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is seeking planning approval for the next phase of redevelopment at Ballymena Showgrounds — including replacing the stadium’s existing natural grass surface with a new full-size 3G/hybrid pitch system. The application, submitted for the council-owned venue on St Patrick’s Link, relates to the main arena at the home of Ballymena United F.C.. It comes just months after the council’s Planning Committee appro

Mr Stephen Black One of Northern Ireland’s best-known school principals is set to leave his post at Ballymena Academy later this year after accepting a new position within the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Mr Stephen Black will step down as Principal of Ballymena Academy on 31 August 2026, bringing to an end a 12-year leadership period which saw the school maintain strong academic performance while further developing its sporting and co-curricular reputation. The announc

Aaron Hughes backed the launch and is pictured with Ryan Lemon, Regional Manager for Marks & Spencer Northern Ireland, and Reuben, Daisie and Olivia Lemon. M&S Food has teamed up with Panini and the Irish FA to launch an exclusive Northern Ireland football sticker collection celebrating the country’s senior men’s and women’s teams — giving young fans across Northern Ireland the chance to collect local football heroes this summer. The limited-edition collection features 50 sti

Two young Ballymena footballers are preparing to take on some of the biggest names in world youth football after being selected for the 2026 County Antrim SuperCupNI squad ahead of this summer’s tournament. Charlie O’Neill and Jack Orr have both secured places in the County Antrim Boys Junior panel, giving local football fans another strong Ballymena connection to one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious sporting events. The announcement comes as organisers confirmed broadb

North West 200 race 1 Supertwin Sportbike Race 2: Storm Stacey celebrates winning the final race of the day the second Superbike race during the International North West 200. (All photos: Stephen Davison/Pacemaker Press unless otherwise stated) Storm Stacey delivered one of the standout performances in recent North West 200 history on Saturday as the English newcomer stunned the road racing world with two race wins, a lap record, and a fearless display across a dramatic day d

Ballymena United emerged among the standout winners as more than 500 young footballers and over 2,000 spectators packed into Cookstown for a dramatic NIYFA Subway Cup Finals Day celebrating the very best of youth football across Northern Ireland. The Ballymena club secured silverware in both the Boys’ and Girls’ competitions, with the Boys’ Under-12 side lifting the Cup title after an extra-time victory over Glenavon, while Ballymena United’s girls edged a tense penalty shoot

Kamil Holán The rider who lost his life following an incident during qualifying at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 has been named as Czech competitor Kamil Holán. The 48-year-old rider died after an incident during Thursday morning’s Superbike qualifying session at Station Corner on the famous Triangle circuit on Northern Ireland’s north coast. His death sent shockwaves through the international road racing community, with tributes pouring in from fellow riders, team

Dean Harrison takes North West 200 Superbike pole Thursday evening qualifying resumed at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 following the day’s earlier fatal incident, with riders returning to the Triangle circuit for shortened final sessions across all four classes. In difficult circumstances on the north coast, Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison emerged as the fastest man in the Superbike class, securing pole position for Saturday’s feature races after producing the quickes

Aerial visual of proposed IFA national football centre outside Ballymena A planning application has been lodged with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the development of a proposed national football centre outside Ballymena. The proposal includes six football pitches — five outdoor and one indoor — with three hybrid surfaces and three artificial surfaces. One pitch is earmarked as a community pitch, while three pitches would be floodlit. The plans also include three spe

A competitor at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 has died following an incident during Thursday morning’s Superbike qualifying session on the famous Triangle circuit. Organisers confirmed the rider suffered fatal injuries after an incident at Station Corner on the NW200 course, prompting the session to be immediately red flagged as emergency services rushed to the scene. The tragedy has cast a sombre shadow over one of Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting events, with

Ireland will host the largest-ever GAA World Games this July, with a record 115 teams from across the globe set to descend on Waterford for the five-day tournament. The international event, running from 13th to 17th July 2026, will bring together thousands of players competing in Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and LGFA, marking a major milestone in the global growth of Gaelic games. Europe drives surge in global participation Europe will form one of the strongest contingen

Briggs Equipment North West 200 Race Director, Mervyn Whyte, pictured with Rob Hodson and Storm Stacey who with both make their North West debuts at the famous north coast venue on May 4-9. (Photo credit: Stephen Davison) A rising British Superbike star is set to take on one of the most daunting challenges in road racing this week, as Storm Stacey prepares to make his debut at the Briggs Equipment North West 200. The 23-year-old arrives at the iconic Triangle circuit in Portr

DPPI Images / Ligier European Series. Ballymena driver Brandon McCaughan underlined his growing reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s most promising young motorsport talents, delivering standout pace but leaving France frustrated after a challenging second round of the 2026 Ligier European Series. The 22-year-old produced eye-catching performances at Circuit Paul Ricard across 01-02 May, but a mix of setbacks, race incidents and penalties prevented the results from matching

Pictured at the first SNUS Awareness training event at Ballymena Showgrounds are Chair of Mid and East Antrim Policing and Community Safety Partnership (MEA PCSP), Councillor Lauren Gray, alongside Elena Brewer, MPH Training Services Officer at ASCERT, and Chantal Ford, Irish Football Association Safeguarding and Welfare Manager. The growing use of snus and nicotine pouches among footballers and young people in Mid and East Antrim has prompted a targeted community safety resp

David Harkin, Franchisee Performance Manager at Subway UK and Ireland, is pictured with a group of finalists from across the competing clubs ahead of the NIYFA Subway Cup Finals Day at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown, where Northern Ireland’s top youth teams will compete for national honours. Northern Ireland’s most promising young footballers are set to take centre stage as 34 of the country’s leading youth teams prepare to compete for national honours at the NIYFA Su