NEWS

With another school year now at an end, ten teachers and school staff from across the Ballymena area have been recognised after hundreds of local pupils nominated the people who made the biggest difference to their lives in the classroom. The winners of Ballymena BID’s popular ‘Treat Your Teacher’ competition were announced following an overwhelming response from families, with children sharing heartfelt stories of kindness, encouragement, patience and support shown throughou

Carnlough Heritage Hub, County Antrim A drop-in event was held on Monday evening (July 6) at the Heritage Hub in Carnlough Town Hall to gather the views of the community on healthcare provision in the coastal area. The event was organised by Rural Community Network to gather residents’ views on primary and community healthcare services locally. Rural Community Network says it wants to hear opinions on “what is working and what can be improved locally”, with feedback helping t

Most recent participants and course leaders from the Medical Administration Academy in Mid & East Antrim Area People across Mid and East Antrim looking for a career in healthcare administration are being encouraged to register their interest for the next Medical Administration Academy after the latest programme helped participants build the skills needed to work in local GP practices. The eight-week academy, delivered by the Northern GP Federation Support Unit (NFSU) in partn

A man has been left with serious injuries after being attacked by a group of up to eight masked men armed with bats outside a property in Ballyclare in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police are appealing for witnesses and any CCTV or dash-cam footage as detectives investigate what they have described as a violent assault that has left the victim with both significant physical injuries and lasting psychological trauma. The attack happened at around 12.40am on Sunday, 12 Ju

The devastating scene of the blaze on Sunday morning in Greenisland. (Images: Conor MacAuley, RTE) Families were forced from their homes after a major fire tore through a row of properties in Greenisland, destroying two houses and damaging two others. Around 45 firefighters were sent to Knockleigh Walk after Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service received its first emergency call at 12.13am on Sunday, July 12. At the height of the incident, flames had spread across a number o

RNLB Machiko Nancy, set to be officially named in a cermony next weekend in Larne Larne RNLI’s new £multi-million Shannon class lifeboat will be officially named Machiko Nancy next Saturday, honouring the remarkable woman whose family helped fund a vessel expected to save lives for generations. The lifeboat, which entered service in February, will be named during a ceremony at East Antrim Boat Club at 2pm on Saturday, 18 July. Machiko Nancy replaces the station’s Trent class

Murdered in Larne: Andrew Cairns Detectives have renewed an appeal for information on the 26th anniversary of the murder of Andrew Cairns, who was beaten and shot after attending an Eleventh Night bonfire in Larne. Andrew was at a bonfire at Boyne Square on 11 July 2000, ahead of the annual Twelfth celebrations, when he was attacked by a group of men near Greenland Drive. He was taken to the nearby Moyle Hospital but died in the early hours of 12 July from a single gunshot wo

Two homes were completely destroyed and two others damaged after a major fire in Greenisland during a demanding night in which firefighters responded to 151 incidents across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service received 303 emergency calls between 6pm on Saturday, July 11, and 2am on Sunday, July 12, with 54 of the incidents attended linked to bonfires. Fire crews also withdrew from a bonfire in the Cookstown area after encountering what NIFRS described as

Larne RNLI all-weather lifeboat Machiko Nancy. (Image: Jason Bain) Two paddleboarders have been brought safely back to shore after being found on the Isle of Muck off Islandmagee on Saturday evening. Larne RNLI’s volunteer crew was returning from an earlier emergency call when it received a fresh request from HM Coastguard at around 5.20pm on 11 July. A member of the public had spotted that the paddleboarders were in difficulty and raised the alarm — a decision the lifeboat c

Glenhugh Flute Band Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate in or watch Twelfth demonstrations across Northern Ireland on Monday, July 13, as over 18 towns and cities host one of the largest annual cultural festivals in Europe. The traditional parades are taking place a day later than usual because July 12 falls on a Sunday this year. Thousands of Orangemen, Orangewomen and junior members from more than 1,000 lodges will be joined by approximately 600 marc

(L-R) UUP party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, TUV Bannside councillor Anna Henry, and Alliance Party Braid councillor, Chelsea Harwood Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows has condemned reported comments by DUP councillor Reuben Glover about girls’ clothing and an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena, saying such views should have been “consigned to the 70’s”. Alliance councillor Chelsea Harwood has also called for an investigation and disciplinary action, descr

Families looking to keep the cost of the school holidays down can now search for free children’s meals, discounted attractions and cheaper activities close to home. Offers already available in Northern Ireland include kids eating free at YO! Belfast, reduced admission and children’s meals at The Ark Open Farm, and discounts on food and trampoline sessions at Airtastic. A new postcode-search website brings the participating deals together, allowing parents to see what is avail

Larne RNLI volunteers rescuing a fishing boat on the Antrim coast. Three people aboard a broken-down fishing boat were brought safely ashore after Larne RNLI launched a rescue operation off the County Antrim coast. The callout on Thursday evening, 9 July, marked the first operational shout for volunteer crew member Andy Purves, who recently joined Larne RNLI. The fishing vessel was found around half a mile north of Portmuck, close to the cliffs, after suffering a mechanical f

Detectives have launched an attempted murder investigation after several shots were fired at a house in County Antrim while two people were inside. The attack happened at a property in the Craigahullier area of Portrush shortly before 11pm on Thursday, 9 July. No injuries were reported, despite bullets striking two bedroom windows and the front door of the house. Burnt-out car may be connected Police were alerted at around 11.25pm and officers subsequently searched the surrou

DUP Ballymena councillor Reuben Glover, and TUV Bannside councillor Anna Henry A TUV councillor has strongly condemned reported comments by DUP Ballymena representative Reuben Glover linking girls’ clothing with an alleged sexual assault, describing the remarks as “blatant victim blaming”. Bannside councillor Anna Henry said women and girls were never responsible for the actions of sexual predators and warned that comments from elected representatives could reinforce harmful

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged “higher than usual absence rates” within its maternity services team over recent months after concerns were raised by campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital. SOS Causeway Hospital recently met with senior Department of Health officials to highlight what it described as “severe pressures within Antrim maternity services following the centralisation of births”. All hospital births in the Northern Trust have taken place at

Machinery moved in around midnight to demolish The Antrim Arms, a derelict listed building in the middle of Ballycastle, County Antrim. (Photos: McAuley Multimedia) The overnight demolition of the former Antrim Arms Hotel has marked the end of one of Ballycastle’s most recognisable historic buildings, as Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council investigates whether the work was legally carried out. Machinery moved in toward midnight on Wednesday night, July 8, with much of th

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon is pictured with George Doherty, Programme Officer at FCN Northern Ireland. Farmers, agricultural workers and rural residents across Mid and East Antrim are being encouraged to seek medical help early if they notice possible signs of cancer, after councillors agreed to support the ‘Nip it in the Bud’ campaign. The initiative, led through the Rural Communities Cancer Project, aims to raise awareness of cancer symptoms among

North West 200 Event Director Mervyn Whyte MBE celebrates after receiving an Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) from Ulster University at its Coleraine campus today. Mervyn Whyte MBE has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Ulster University in recognition of more than 50 years of service to motorsport and his role in helping turn the North West 200 into one of Northern Ireland’s most important sporting events. The North West 200 Event Director received an Honorary Doctor of S

A child was injured in a road traffic collision involving a car on the Ballycraigy Road in Antrim on Wednesday evening, prompting a police appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage as enquiries continue. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 8.20pm on Wednesday, 8 July, after receiving reports that a child had been struck in a collision involving a blue Seat Leon. Police officers attended alongside other emergency services, who provided medical assistance to t