NEWS

North Antrim Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland at the scene of the incident in The Diamond, Ballycastle Political representatives have warned that the deliberate fire at the derelict Antrim Arms building in Ballycastle must act as a turning point in how long-term vacant properties are managed, as concerns grow over safety, disruption and the future of the site. Mulholland: fire exposes dangers of long-term dereliction Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland said the arson attack had deeply

A major fire that tore through the derelict Antrim Arms building in Ballycastle on Sunday evening is now being treated as a deliberate act, police have confirmed. The blaze at the prominent Castle Street property was reported shortly after 8pm on Sunday 19 April, triggering a large-scale emergency response and leading to multiple road closures in the town centre. Police confirm fire was deliberate In an update issued on Monday 20 April, the Police Service of Northern Ireland

Image: McAuley Multimedia A major fire broke out in Ballycastle on Sunday evening, sending thick plumes of smoke across the town and prompting urgent safety warnings for residents as dozens of firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. The incident unfolded at the derelict former Antrim Arms building in The Diamond area, with emergency services receiving the first call at 8:08pm on Sunday 19 April 2026. Firefighters battle blaze at prominent town centre site Witnes

Northern Ireland U17 international and tournament graduate Chloe Beckinsale and Charlotte Havern are pictured alongside Ballymena United Minor Section players Curtis McKeown and Isaac Dixon, with former Northern Ireland international and current Northern Ireland U21 Manager Tommy Wright and Karl Bradley from Budget Energy at the official draw for the 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI. The stage is set for one of Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting events of the summer, after the

A BMW and Seat Leon seized by police Police have seized two vehicles and reported three drivers for court after a series of road policing incidents yesterday, including one motorist clocked at more than 135mph on the A26 dual carriageway. Officers from Road Policing Interceptors based in Sprucefield carried out the enforcement activity on Friday evening, 17 April, targeting uninsured driving and dangerous speeds. Two uninsured drivers stopped and vehicles seized During patrol

Hannah Scott MBE who received the Freedom of the Borough at a special civic ceremony at Coleraine Town Hall. (Pics: Steven McAuley/ Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council) Coleraine’s Olympic gold medallist Hannah Scott MBE has been awarded the Freedom of the Borough — the highest civic honour available — in recognition of her historic achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The honour was formally conferred by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council during a special

Ballymena Causeway Credit Union (BCCU) on William Street, Ballymena Ballymena Causeway Credit Union will begin operating under a new trading name, Evolve Credit Union , from 30 April 2026, marking a significant shift following years of expansion and the integration of members from across multiple local credit unions. The move comes after a period of sustained growth and a series of Transfers of Engagement that brought together members from Causeway, Antrim, Randalstown and su

Pictured with one of the two refurbished snooker tables at Loughgiel Community Centre are, (left to right) Gareth Doran, Housing Executive Good Relations Officer, Causeway, Michelle Smyth, Operations Manager, Loughgiel Community Association, Paddy Coyles, Men’s Shed, Patrick McCullough, Men’s Shed, Deirdre Rafferty, Housing Executive Neighbourhood Officer, Lee-Anne Doherty, Loughgiel Community Association, and Gerard Dallas, Men’s Shed. A community hub in Loughgiel is seeing

Noah and Grace have been confirmed as the most popular baby names given to children registered in Northern Ireland in 2025, with fresh figures showing long-standing favourites holding firm while a wave of new and unusual names continues to emerge. The latest Baby Names 2025 statistics, published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) , reveal that Grace has retained the number one spot for girls, while Noah has climbed back to the top of the boy

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister. Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings

Ballymena Town Hall Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s interim chief executive was paid £151,725 in 2024-25, placing the borough among the higher-paid councils in Northern Ireland as the latest Town Hall Rich List records a new UK-wide high in six-figure local authority remuneration. Across Northern Ireland’s 11 councils, 59 employees received total remuneration of more than £100,000 in 2024-25, up from 51 the previous year, while all Northern Ireland councils also increas

Hugh McGill and members of Ballycastle Runners welcoming another year’s sponsorship by McAuley Freight Ltd, represented by Aaron McAuley (right), as Marconi’s 5 Mile Race returns in Ballycastle. Ballycastle is set for another major day on the local sporting calendar next month as the Marconi’s 5 Mile Race returns on Sunday, 24 May 2026, with organisers confirming that McAuley Freight Ltd has joined Ballycastle Runners for a third consecutive year as one of the event’s main sp

North Antrim MP Jim Allister and Cloughmills Early Years playgroup The growing dispute over nursery places in Cloughmills has now widened into a broader North Antrim row after MP Jim Allister accused the Education Authority of failing pre-school children across the constituency. In a sharply critical statement, Mr Allister said the EA’s “inflexible and dogma driven policy” is leaving children without suitable local places in communities including Cloughmills, Armoy and The

A man is receiving hospital treatment after being shot in the hand during an early-hours gun attack on the Bushmills Road in Coleraine, with police closing part of the route on Sunday morning as investigations continue. The shooting happened in the early hours of Sunday, 12 April, when the victim was walking home between 1.00am and 1.30am. According to initial reports, a male dressed entirely in black, with his face covered, approached the man on the Bushmills Road and fired

Concept drawing of Roe Park House demonstrating how the property would look if Galgorm Collection planning proposal approved. Galgorm Collection’s multi-million-pound transformation of Roe Valley Resort has taken another visible step forward, with plans submitted to restore the original Georgian entrance of historic Roe Park House. A Listed Building Consent application has been lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council seeking approval to reinstate the former main

One of Northern Ireland’s leading hospitality groups has announced a major new sponsorship deal with the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200, adding fresh commercial backing to one of the province’s biggest sporting and tourism events ahead of race week next month. Galgorm Collection confirmed it will become an inaugural sponsor of the internationally renowned road race for the first time, with the 2026 event set to run from May 4 to May 9 along the North Coast. The move bri

The BEAM team and local volunteers gathered cleanup, community and craic in Ballymoney! More than 50 people from across Ballymoney turned out for a community litter pick at Riverside Park, in a strong show of local spirit that organisers say was about far more than clearing rubbish from public spaces. The event, organised by BEAM – Building Empowerment & Awareness to Mind – took place on Tuesday 31 March and brought together people of all ages from across the town, with volun

A major policing operation across the North Coast over the bank holiday period resulted in nine arrests, 21 vehicles seized for dangerous defects and 560 speeding detections, as police moved to tackle traffic disruption, anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving in one of Northern Ireland’s busiest visitor hotspots. The extensive operation, led by police in Causeway Coast and Glens District, ran throughout the holiday weekend amid heightened concerns around road safety, exc

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has called for a reappraisal of the recently halted redevelopment project at Ronán’s Way in Cushendun. Independent councillor Margaret Anne McKillop said the landowner at Ronán’s Way had been awaiting a lease agreement with the council, which would have allowed the £225,100 redevelopment scheme to move forward. Last month’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting approved PEACEPLUS funding for two elements of the Layde Path, Cottage

Housing Executive Staff and members of the Cloughmills Community Action Team, winners of the Cleaner and Greener Award sponsored by Northern Ireland Housing Council in the Housing Executive’s Rural Community Awards. Included are (back row, left to right) Noleen Connolly Housing Executive District Manager, Clare Lawlor, Arts Care, Jim Whitten, Cloughmills Community Action Team, Marie Semple and Eoin McKinney Housing Executive Rural Unit. (Front row, left to right), Freda McKni