NEWS

Kilrea-born football manager Martin O’Neill Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is to consider conferring the Freedom of the Borough on Kilrea-born football manager Martin O’Neill. During June’s council meeting, members were presented with a motion by Sinn Féin Councillor Sean Bateson seeking to award the Freedom of the Borough to Mr O’Neill in recognition of his distinguished football career and contribution to the sport. A ceremonial plaque in Kilrea has also been prop

Patients across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to recognise the family doctors and practice teams who have made a real difference to their lives as nominations open for the Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland’s GP and Practice Team of the Year Awards 2026. The annual awards, launched by the Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland (RCGPNI), aim to shine a spotlight on GPs and surgery teams who have gone “above and beyond” to support p

Nuala O’Connell, a Ward Sister at Antrim Area Hospital A nurse leading one of Northern Ireland’s busiest hospital teams has been recognised for transforming both staff wellbeing and patient care after introducing a workplace support initiative designed to help struggling colleagues reach out in confidence. Nuala O’Connell, a Ward Sister at Antrim Area Hospital, was named winner of the Team Manager Award at the RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards, with four other Nor

Well done girls: L-R: Jenna McErlain, Dayah Doherty. Willow Currie, Isabel McErlean, Rebekah Rice, Cassie Evans, Maisie Hamill, and Anna Rose Caskey. Eight young gymnasts from Toome are preparing to take centre stage on the national level after qualifying to represent Northern Ireland at the National Finals in London later this year. The athletes from Elite Gymnastics Academy secured their places following a series of strong performances throughout the British Gymnastics-back

Local woman, Ann Lamont, happy volunteering at Dogs Trust Ballymena A County Antrim woman who promised herself she would one day help rescue dogs after losing her beloved pet has now given more than 1,000 hours of service to homeless hounds at Dogs Trust Ballymena. Ann Lamont, from near Kells, has become one of the rehoming centre’s most recognisable faces after spending the past two years volunteering in its laundry room — affectionately known by staff and volunteers as “Ann

Pictured (L-R) are Peter McAuley, CEO and founder, Nomadic Watches and Iain Joannides, Head of Eastern Regional Business, Invest NI A Carrickfergus-founded luxury watch company that began as a one-man operation working from home has grown into a business with more than £1.9 million in sales — and is now planning to create 20 new jobs as it expands internationally. Nomadic Watches, founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Peter McAuley, has rapidly built a global customer base from Nor

Countryfile’s Adam Henson, Local chef, broadcaster and Head Judge Paula McIntyre and Sheila Dillon from BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme launch nominations for the awards at The Balmoral Show Northern Ireland’s food and farming industry is set for a major national spotlight after it was confirmed the BBC Food and Farming Awards will be hosted here for the first time ever later this year. The prestigious UK-wide awards ceremony will take place at Titanic Belfast in October 202

Ballymena boxer Ella McDonald A Ballymena woman who only started boxing in her mid-twenties is preparing to make her professional debut next month after an extraordinary rise through the amateur ranks that has already seen her claim major titles, win international medals and train alongside some of the best fighters in Ireland. At just 28 years old, Ella McDonald will step into the professional game for the first time at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on June 26 — a moment she onc

Winning: Boxing talent Kain Stewart from Ballymena A brother and sister from Ballymena have returned from the WKO European Championships with multiple European titles after producing a series of dominant performances against some of the continent’s top young fighters. Lacey Stewart and her younger brother Kain Stewart — already rapidly rising names in local combat sports — travelled to Barnsley representing Cuchulainn Combat Sports under Ballymena MMA figure Alan “Super Ali”

St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena has been ranked the top-performing school in Northern Ireland for A-Level results after achieving an extraordinary 98% rate of pupils securing three or more A-Level passes at grades A*-C. The achievement places the Ballymena school at number one in the Belfast Telegraph’s latest league table rankings for 2025, marking a major moment not only for the school community but for education in the wider North Antrim area. It comes amid growing pr

Twenty-four year-old Declan McCook, founder of Niche Coastal A young entrepreneur from Ballycastle has been recognised among the top emerging businesses across Scotland and Northern Ireland after securing silver in the prestigious HSBC & FSB Start-Up Business Awards. At just 24 years old, Declan McCook, founder of Niche Coastal, was named runner-up in one of the competition’s most competitive categories — a significant achievement for a business launched little more than a ye

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

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

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

Northern Regional College, Ballymena Northern Regional College has celebrated some of Northern Ireland’s top emerging talent at a special reception in Ballymena, recognising apprentices who have achieved success on regional, national and international stages. The event, held at the College’s Ballymena campus, brought together award-winning apprentices, employers, lecturers and senior College leaders to mark a series of standout achievements across engineering, manufacturing a

Ballymena artist Heather Martin A Ballymena-based artist has secured new funding support to develop a stage play examining systemic misogyny within policing and medicine as part of a wider Northern Ireland arts initiative supporting D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives. Heather Martin is among 20 artists across Northern Ireland awarded £1,000 grants through the newly renamed Atypical Generation Fund, delivered by the University of Atypical with National Lottery fundi

Family Farm Award winners James & Rachel Davison were presented with their award by Keith Halstead, Executive Director of the Royal Countryside Fund. A farming couple from Glenarm have been recognised on one of Northern Ireland agriculture’s biggest stages after winning a prestigious national award at this year’s Balmoral Show. James and Rachel Davison received the Royal Countryside Fund Family Farm Award at the 2026 M&S Select Farm Awards on Tuesday, May 13, in recognition o

Professor Kenda Crozier, Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen's is pictured (second from left), accepting the ‘Best Student Experience’ award for Ambition to Success, at the Student Nursing Times Awards in London recently. Queen’s University Belfast has claimed two major national honours at one of the UK’s most prestigious student nursing award ceremonies, with judges praising the university’s “real world impact” and students’ passion for changing lives. The S

(L-R) Paul Truscott, General Manager of The Harbourview Hotel pictured with David Roberts, Director of Strategic Development at Tourism NI and Adrian McLaughlin, Owner of The Harbourview Hotel  The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough has secured a major boost just over a year after reopening under new ownership, with Tourism Northern Ireland awarding the coastal venue a four-star grading following an extensive refurbishment programme. The Co Antrim hotel — described as Ireland’s

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