NEWS

Tuesday 06 October 2026 Stroke patients across Northern Ireland can now access potentially life-changing thrombectomy treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week, removing the time of day or night as a barrier to the specialist procedure. The expanded regional service, based at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, began operating around the clock on 14 September and has already treated patients during the new overnight hours. Health Minister Robbie Butler confirmed the ser

Dr Konstantinos Xyntaris invites those with an interest in tree planting to attend the Growers Gathering at CAFRE this month at Greenmount Campus. Monday 05 October 2026 Tree growers, foresters and others involved in woodland creation across Northern Ireland are being invited to Greenmount Campus in Antrim for an industry event exploring the future of tree production and planting. The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will host ‘A Growers’ Gathering fo

Disney magic creates unforgettable memories for 20 Northern Ireland children, including Karen Farrell and daughter Anna (4) from Ballymena. Monday 05 October 2026 Children from Ballymena, Antrim, Ballyclare, and Toome were among 20 young people from across Northern Ireland given the chance to experience the magic of Disneyland Paris during a special trip for families living with serious health conditions. The children, who are living with life-limiting or life-threatening con

(L-R) BSc (Hons) Food Innovation Management students, Olivia Acheson, Cookstown, and Ellen Nelson, Tobermore, along with Mr. Fintan McCann, Head of Food Education invite you to attend CAFRE’s Open Week from Tuesday 06 October to Saturday 10 October 2026 at Loughry Campus, Cookstown, Greenmount Campus, Antrim and Enniskillen Campus Sunday 04 October 2026 Students considering their next move after school can explore courses, facilities and campus life at the College of Agricult

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir launches the second phase of the Lough Neagh Water Quality Dashboard in Ballyronan pictured with (L-R) Patrick Murphy, Lough Neagh Science Advice Branch, DAERA and Stephen Prentice, NIEA Freshwater Monitoring and Assessment. Saturday 03 October 2026 An expanded public monitoring system is giving communities and scientists a much clearer picture of conditions across Lough Neagh — as those working around the lake warn that years of sustained action wi

Wednesday 30 September 2026 Staff in Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department will begin using body-worn cameras tomorrow, 1 October, as the Northern Trust extends a scheme aimed at tackling violence and aggression towards frontline workers. The rollout follows a 12-week pilot at Antrim Area Hospital, where staff reported greater confidence in managing incidents and said the presence of cameras had helped change some patients’ behaviour. Antrim Emergency Department worker Eme

(L-R) Antrim and Newtownabbey Sinn Féin councillors Taylor McGrann, Maighréad Ní Chonghaile, and Eamonn McLaughlin. Tuesday 29 September 2026 Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has voted to refer three Sinn Féin councillors to a standards watchdog over allegations relating to their presence near a protest at Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The proposal passed by 20 votes to seven, with seven abstentions, at a full council meeting in Mossley Mill on Monday evening, 28 Septemb

Members of Antrim Area Hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology team Tuesday 29 September 2026 Antrim Area Hospital has received UK-wide recognition for the training and support it gives doctors specialising in pregnancy, childbirth and women’s health, following feedback from resident doctors. The hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology team was highly commended in the Overall and Obstetrics category for medium-sized hospitals in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologis

Tuesday 29 September 2026 Travellers heading to Belfast International Airport are being urged to allow extra journey time as an £816,000 resurfacing scheme brings overnight closures to one of its approach roads. Work has started on approximately two kilometres of the A57 Ballyrobin Road at Killead, between the A26 Killead Roundabout and the Airport Roundabout. The affected stretch links the A26 with the airport, forming part of the approach for traffic coming through Templepa

Monday 28 September 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is developing four integrated neighbourhood teams in a major shift towards providing more care in people’s homes and reducing avoidable hospital admissions. The new Neighbourhood Model of Care will bring together primary care, community and social care services and the community and voluntary sector, with an initial focus on supporting older people as winter approaches. Trust leaders say earlier intervention c

South Antrim MP Robin Swann during a visit to meet the volunteers of St John Ambulance in Antrim last year. Monday 28 September 2026 St John Ambulance volunteers in Antrim have had 75 years of service to their community formally recognised at Westminster, with South Antrim MP Robin Swann tabling a parliamentary motion marking the milestone. The Antrim unit, founded in 1951, has provided generations of first aid cover, emergency support and community care across the town and w

Taylor Kirk,Ballyclare, models Frasers and Levi's at Platform 26, Victoria Square Sunday 27 September 2026 County Antrim modelling talent stepped into the spotlight at Victoria Square as three local models took to the runway for the Belfast shopping destination’s latest Autumn/Winter fashion showcase. Cooper Dudley-Fergus from Ballymoney, Meagan Green from Lisburn and Taylor Kirk from Ballyclare were among the models showcasing new-season looks at Platform 26 on Friday 25 Sep

Co Antrim woman Jackie Dawson (left), a patient who uses the unit at Antrim Area Hospital each week, pictured with Damien McLaughlin, nurse in charge, and Leanne Dawson. Sunday 27 September 2026 The renal unit at Antrim Area Hospital is delivering around 1,450 dialysis sessions every month, with health chiefs highlighting the significant pressures facing one of Northern Ireland’s busiest units. Members of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board heard about the demands

Sloane, aged five-years-old, from Ballymena is delighted to land his first fish Saturday 26 September 2026 More than 50 children and their families have spent the summer discovering fishing, wildlife and the hidden world beneath local waterways through a programme run by Antrim & District Angling Association (ADAA). The Outdoor Learning and Nature Development Days combined hands-on environmental education with an introduction to angling, giving many of the young participants

South Antrim MP Robin Swann speaking at today’s UUP annual conference Saturday 26 September 2026 Robin Swann has said the arrival of a new Prime Minister could create an opportunity to secure Westminster backing for the proposed £300 million to £500 million reopening of the Knockmore railway line through South Antrim. The South Antrim MP used his address to today’s Ulster Unionist Party annual conference to put infrastructure investment alongside changes to Troubles legislati

Past participants Leah Baxter-Leslie, Nicki McNeill and Anjali Jose pictured with Naomi Hutchinson, NFSU Business Support Manager, Brigid McNabb, key trainer with Academy, and Dr Windsor Murdock, non-executive member NFSU. Thursday 24 September 2026 A programme designed to help local people into work while tackling recruitment needs in GP surgeries has recorded a 53% employment outcome after expanding from a Mid and East Antrim pilot to four academies in just 18 months. From

Thursday 24 September 2026 More people are now dying than being born in Mid and East Antrim, marking a striking reversal from little more than a decade ago as the borough’s population becomes older and overall growth stalls. New population estimates published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) today reveal a wider demographic change unfolding across Northern Ireland — but the picture across the greater County Antrim area is particularly revealing.

Horticulture students Charley Benson (Lisburn), Ramona McCluskey (Ballymena) and Barry Wheeler (Antrim) encourage prospective students to explore Greenmount Campus facilities at the upcoming Open Day Wednesday 23 September 2026 Greenmount Campus in Antrim is opening its doors next month to prospective students interested in careers ranging from landscaping and plant production to sports turf management and floristry. The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFR

Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill MLA and Declan Kearney MLA Tuesday 22 September 2026 Sinn Féin has selected Declan Kearney to contest South Antrim in next year’s Northern Ireland Assembly election, with the sitting MLA seeking to retain the seat he has held since 2016. Kearney’s candidacy was announced at a party selection event at the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim on Tuesday evening, as Sinn Féin begins preparing for the combined Assembly and council elections on 6 May

Tuesday 22 September 2026 A Ballyclare builder has been given a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of six fraud offences in a case involving a Belfast homeowner who paid more than £32,000 for an extension that was left substantially unfinished. The homeowner had agreed a £32,000 price with Kyle Agnew, 38, of Charles Drive, Ballyclare, who was trading as KA Building Services. By February 2022, £31,825 had been paid, but major elements of the project remained in