NEWS

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

Autism diagnoses among school-age children in Northern Ireland have reached their highest recorded level, with new figures revealing 18,472 pupils are now identified as autistic — while politicians and families warn support systems are becoming overwhelmed. The latest annual prevalence report published by the Department of Health shows autism prevalence among school-age children rose to 6.2% during the 2025/26 school year. That represents an increase of 0.3 percentage points

Residents across the Borough are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves, plant for pollinators and help make local communities greener as the Mid and East Antrim In Bloom 2026 Community Competitions officially open for entries. With 12 free-to-enter categories and prizes available for both winners and runners-up, the annual initiative is once again inviting households, community groups and gardening enthusiasts to showcase the very best of local horticulture while supporti

Tess Osborne, Head of Fresh Foods Sourcing NI at Tesco Tesco has more than doubled the number of Northern Ireland suppliers it works with in just three years, deepening its reliance on local farmers, food producers and manufacturers as pressure continues to mount across the agri-food sector. The supermarket giant now works with 138 Northern Ireland-based suppliers across more than 1,600 locally sourced product lines, with Ballymena meat processor Doherty & Gray playing a grow

British Heart Foundation Ballymena shop manager Maureen Beattie is urging Ballymena residents to donate quality, preloved summer stock to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) shop on Ballymoney Street to help fund lifesaving research. People across Ballymena are being urged to clear out wardrobes, shelves and spare rooms this spring as the British Heart Foundation launches a fresh appeal for quality donations to help fund lifesaving research. The charity’s Ballymoney Street sho

Families across Northern Ireland waiting for confirmation of school places for children with special educational needs are being offered direct one-to-one support through a new series of online drop-in sessions hosted by the Education Authority. The initiative comes amid growing pressure on the region’s SEN system, with demand for specialist placements continuing to rise sharply and thousands of additional places projected to be needed over the next decade. Parents and carers

(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

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

Charleigh-Rose Havelin A Ballymena mother has spoken of the moment her nine-year-old daughter was rushed to Belfast by blue-light ambulance after weeks of headaches and relentless vomiting were finally revealed to be an aggressive brain tumour. For months, Jenna Havelin says her daughter Charleigh-Rose became increasingly unwell as the family desperately searched for answers, never imagining the little girl’s symptoms were being caused by medulloblastoma — the most common mal

Ballymena businessman Trevor Barr, Barr’s Butchers The owner of one of Ballymena’s long-established family businesses has paid tribute to the McKillen family following the closure of McKillens on Church Street, while also issuing a stark warning about the growing pressures facing traders across the town centre. Trevor Barr, of Barr’s Butchers on Ballymoney Street, said the closure of the well-known retailer was both personally sad and symbolic of the wider challenges now thre

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

Pictured with Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Borough, Councillor Jackson Minford are local musicians Rodney Beggs and ‘Lacey’. Ballymena is preparing to celebrate a landmark moment in its history as the town marks 400 years since the foundations of the modern settlement were established. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has now unveiled a major programme of Ballymena 400 events for 2026, with organisers promising a year of community celebration, local history, family entertain

Margarette O’Donnell, a peer trainer with The Recovery College, has described how her own mental health journey inspired her to help others. For years, Margarette O’Donnell felt she was “losing the battle day by day” with her mental health — hiding her struggles behind a brave face while privately feeling hopeless about the future. Now, during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Northern Trust Recovery College peer trainer is sharing her deeply personal story in the hope it enc

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

Police are appealing for information after a series of reported thefts targeting supermarkets in Ballymena, Newry and Limavady over the course of two days last week. The incidents, which involved healthcare products and toiletries being stolen from commercial premises, are now being investigated by the PSNI amid suspicions the thefts may be connected. The Ballymena incident took place at a supermarket in the Larne Link Road area shortly before midday on Tuesday, May 5, while

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford blows the starting whistle as young runners set off for the junior parkrun in The People's Park, Ballymena. More than 100 children are now turning out every week for Ballymena’s junior parkrun, with the Sunday morning event rapidly becoming one of the town’s most popular new family activities. Held in The People’s Park every Sunday at 9.30am, the free 2K run for children aged four to 14 has created a fresh buzz around t

Thousands of pounds are expected to be raised for Alzheimer’s Society this summer as Clarke prepares to bring back its hugely popular Charity Car Show to Ballymena — with organisers promising the biggest and most ambitious event yet. Now entering its third year, the growing community event has become one of the standout local motoring showcases in the area, attracting families, car enthusiasts and supporters from across Northern Ireland. This year’s show will take place on Sa

A motorcyclist remains in a serious condition in hospital following a collision involving a van on one of Ballymena’s busiest commuter routes on Saturday afternoon. Police have appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage after the serious road traffic collision on the Lisnevenagh Road near the junction with Woodgreen Road. The crash happened at around 12.20pm on Saturday, 9 May, on the north-bound carriageway of the road. Emergency services, including officers from the Police

AIB Branch Manager Peter Hughes pictured with RNLI staff and volunteer crew at the 2026 AIB Community Fund launch Communities across Ballymena and Northern Ireland are being urged to nominate local charities for support after AIB officially launched the fifth year of its Community €1 Million Fund — with additional funding added this year to mark the bank’s 60th anniversary. The initiative, which has already supported nearly 300 charities across the island of Ireland since 202

Waterstone’s Ballymena has unveiled another packed weekly update, with bestselling fiction, welcoming community book clubs and a wave of notable new releases helping to keep readers engaged this spring. This week’s Top 10 reflects a broad mix of tastes among Ballymena readers, with everything from children’s favourites and sci-fi adventures to literary fiction and historical drama featuring strongly. Top 10 this week (Saturday 9 May 2026) A varied mix of bestselling fiction a