NEWS

Sitting Sinn Féin North Antrim MLA Philip McGuigan with the party’s deputy Dáil leader and finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty TDPearse Doherty TD. Friday 18 September 2026 Sinn Féin has selected sitting MLA Philip McGuigan to contest the 2027 Northern Ireland Assembly election in North Antrim, as parties begin preparing for voters to go to the polls next May. McGuigan, who currently chairs Stormont’s Health Committee, confirmed his candidacy at a party event in the Marine H

Hannah Buchanan, Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist Blood cancer can affect people of all ages and its symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other illnesses, prompting the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to urge people to know the warning signs and seek medical advice if something does not feel right. September marks Blood Cancer Awareness Month, with health professionals using the campaign to highlight symptoms including unusual bruising or bleeding, extreme tire

Thursday 17 September 2026 A £50,000 project to provide toilet facilities at Ronán’s Way near Cushendun has been reinstated after land ownership concerns put the plans at risk. Ronán’s Way, on the McAuley family’s working farm near Cushendun, honours his wish to share the beauty of Glendun with others. Its routes stretch from riverside fields to upland peatland, with views towards Scotland. The toilet facilities project had been withdrawn from a wider PEACEPLUS-funded trails

A previous Wee Joan’s Charity Dog Walk makes its way along Portrush’s West Strand. The popular event returns this Sunday, raising funds for Willie’s Orphan Fund, Children to Lapland and Children’s Kidney Fund NI. A previous Wee Joan’s Charity Dog Walk makes its way along Portrush’s West Strand. The popular event returns this Sunday, raising funds for Willie’s Orphan Fund, Children to Lapland and Children’s Kidney Hundreds of paws are expected to hit the sand in Portrush this

A seven-year-old boy remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition following a serious road traffic collision in Coleraine on Sunday evening. Police are appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage as they investigate the collision, which involved the young boy while he was riding his bicycle and a black Volkswagen Scirocco. Collision on Warnocks Lane The incident happened in the Warnocks Lane area at around 6.40pm on Sunday, 13 September. Inspector Roxborough said:

85-year-old Maud Kerr sadly died folloei g the collision in Coleraine An 85-year-old woman has died following a two-vehicle road traffic collision in Coleraine. Police have named the woman as Maud Kerr, from the Macosquin area. The collision happened on the Windyhill Road at approximately 12.30pm on Saturday, 12 September. Man remains in hospital Detective Inspector Stewart, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Collision Investigation Unit, said: “At approximately 12

Redbay RNLI launched after a 46ft yacht became trapped off Cushendall, on the Antrim coast. Six people have been brought to safety after Red Bay RNLI volunteers spent seven hours at sea in gale-force conditions when a 46ft yacht became trapped at a fish farm off Cushendall. The overnight Mayday operation began in the early hours of Saturday morning after the yacht, which was travelling from Oban in Scotland to Portugal, lost all power and steering after making contact with th

Inset: TUV councillor Jonathan McAuley TUV councillor Jonathan McAuley has expressed disappointment over what he says is a lack of progress by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on exploring alternatives to traditional fireworks at its Halloween events. The councillor raised the issue again during September’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, almost a year after suggesting that options including silent fireworks and drone shows should be considered. Concerns ove

PD Isco who helped discovere the seized haul Drugs valued by police at around £50,000 have been seized alongside weapons and approximately £5,000 in cash during searches in Ballymoney and Armoy. Two people were arrested following the operation on Monday 7 September. One was subsequently charged with drug-related offences and a firearms offence and remanded in custody after appearing in court on Tuesday. Knuckledusters, knives and taser batons were among the weapons recovered,

Jailed: County Antrim man Curtis Archibald A County Antrim man who groomed a girl and threatened to share images he had forced her to send him has been jailed, as his victim urged others experiencing abuse to come forward. Curtis Archibald, 26, from Bushmills, was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court on Tuesday 8 September to three years, comprising 18 months in custody and 18 months on licence. He was sentenced for 11 offences and also received a seven-year Sexual Offences Preven

Four primary schools—including two in the wider Love Ballymena coverage area—have vowed to continue building inclusive school communities after Education Minister Paul Givan rejected their applications for integrated status. Larne and Inver Primary School and Killowen Primary School in Coleraine were refused alongside Ballyhenry Primary School in Glengormley and Downshire Primary School in Hillsborough. The four ministerial decisions were dated Sunday 30 August, immediately b

RNLI lifeguards rescue person trapped at cave off Whiterocks Beach. (Picture: Chris Little / Coleraine Coastguard) A bodyboarder swept out to sea by a sudden rip current and an injured walker trapped beside a cave were rescued during a busy afternoon for RNLI lifeguards on the Causeway Coast. The two incidents happened within around an hour of each other at Portrush East Strand and Whiterocks Beach on Sunday afternoon, 6 September. Both casualties were brought safely ashore,

The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev George Davison, Rev Emma Gibson with husband Paul, and their young daughter. (Images: McAuley Multimedia) A new chapter has begun for two North Coast parishes following the institution of the Rev Emma Gibson as rector of the Grouped Parishes of Ramoan and Culfeightrin. Holy Trinity Parish Church in Ballycastle was packed on Friday evening, 4 September, as parishioners, family, friends and clergy gathered to welcome their new incumbent. For Rev

The controversial proposal to move emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital to Antrim is set to face a tougher ministerial test after Northern Ireland’s new Health Minister pledged to challenge the evidence behind major hospital changes and warned that reform cannot simply mean centralisation. Robbie Butler has also put proposed new hospital categories on hold and announced plans for an independent expert committee to scrutinise major or controversial changes to Healt

A “significant improvement” in lengthy ambulance handover delays at Antrim and Causeway hospitals has been highlighted by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. Figures presented to a recent Trust board meeting show the number of patients waiting more than two hours to be handed over to hospital staff fell substantially compared with earlier in the year. Interim chief executive Suzanne Pullins acknowledged the “commitment and hard work of the emergency teams”. Two-hour wa

The Northern Trust has agreed £50 million of savings and confirmed it is now working to wind down Phone First — but says much of the detail showing what its wider financial plan will mean for patients and frontline staff is still being worked through. Love Ballymena put 12 detailed questions to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust after examining its 2026/27 Savings Plan, seeking clarity on a 23% reduction in winter planning funding, a targeted 25% reduction in enhanced

Antrim Area Hospital Monday 31 August 2026 The Northern Trust is preparing to reduce winter-pressure funding by 23%, target a 25% reduction in enhanced patient observation hours, move selected surgery between hospitals and seek the closure of Phone First as it attempts to make £50 million of savings this year. Millions more are being targeted through reductions in agency and locum spending, tighter controls on vacant posts, changes involving care-home costs and almost £600,00

Families and visitors of all ages and abilities have been given the opportunity to explore the wildlife and natural environment of Portrush’s East Strand through an event designed to make the coastline more accessible to everyone. The free Inclusive Biodiversity Day, held on Friday 28 August, brought together accessible outdoor activities, environmental education and adapted equipment at the Blue Flag beach. Organised by the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT) in

Antrim Area Hospital The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has approved £50 million worth of savings as it attempts to balance its books by March 2027, amid warnings from trade unions about the potential impact on patients, services and an already stretched workforce. The savings plan was approved by Trust board members at a meeting at Antrim Area Hospital on Thursday (August 27), with members reminded that the organisation has a statutory duty to break even by the end of

The Northern Ireland Prison Service has been awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Causeway Coast and Glens, honouring more than a century of public service and remembering the 32 members of the service who lost their lives while serving the community. The prestigious civic honour was conferred during a special ceremony at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre on Saturday, attended by Prison Service representatives, members of the Lieutenancy, elected representatives and invite