NEWS

The Grouse Inn on Ballymoney Street, Ballymena A man has suffered serious injuries following an alleged assault outside a pub in Ballymena during the early hours of Saturday morning. Police are investigating the incident, which happened outside The Grouse Inn at around 2.30am on Saturday 31 May. The victim is reported to have sustained Grievous Bodily Harm injuries following the assault. The incident is likely to raise concern locally given the busy weekend nightlife footfall

Ethel Blair, centre, with Gail Caldwell, Asda Larne Community Champion, McGee's butcher Conor O'Cleary, Serena Quigley, front right and Serena's dad Jim Steele, who also works on the McGee's counter at Asda Larne A Larne woman who has spent more than a century watching the world change around her has marked her 100th birthday with a royal letter from the King, a hand-delivered gift from the Lord-Lieutenant’s office — and flowers from the supermarket team who have become part

A 35-year-old man has been charged to court following an arrest in the Ballymena area, with police also continuing enquiries into a number of alleged drugs offences. The man has been charged with three counts of common assault after being arrested on Saturday, 30 May. He is due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 25 June. Police confirm further drugs enquiries ongoing Police said the man was also bailed in relation to a number of drugs offences to allow

More than one million people across the UK have now used a free online checker designed to help consumers avoid poor mobile phone coverage, dropped calls and frustrating signal blackspots. The milestone, announced by Ofcom, highlights growing public concern over patchy mobile reception as people increasingly rely on smartphones for everyday essentials including banking, GP appointments, navigation, travel bookings and remote working. The regulator says its free “Map Your Mobi

Inset: Local woman Jill Stewart of Jill Bakes Clouds of softly whipped cream, crisp shards of sweet meringue, silky custard and juicy berries soaked in fragrant elderflower syrup come together in this irresistibly light summer dessert that tastes like sunshine in a glass. With strawberries at their sweetest and bright raspberries adding a sharp burst of freshness, this berry and elderflower Eton mess feels perfectly made for warm evenings, garden gatherings and those relaxed

More than half a million households across Northern Ireland are facing another jump in energy costs from Friday, with both electricity and gas prices rising amid renewed pressure on global wholesale markets linked to conflict in the Middle East. Power NI customers will see electricity tariffs increase by 6.2% from 1 July 2026, while regulated firmus energy gas customers in the Ten Towns network will face a much steeper rise of 15.65%. For many families already juggling food c

Police in Ballymena have seized a quantity of suspected Class A and Class B drugs along with a large amount of cash following a proactive search operation in the town. A 35-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drugs-related offences and remains in police custody. The operation was carried out by officers from the Local Policing Team on Saturday, 30 May, as part of ongoing efforts to target the supply and distribution of illegal drugs in the Ballymena area. T

Northern Ireland is preparing for one of its biggest weeks of youth sport of the year after the full fixture list for the 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI was officially unveiled — bringing Manchester United, Liverpool, Rangers, Celtic, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland back to pitches across the north this summer. More than 1,200 young players from across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East will descend on the Causeway Coast and Glens, Mid and East Antrim, an

Hundreds of thousands of people across Northern Ireland could be living with dangerously high blood pressure without realising it — and a free health event coming to Ballymena aims to change that before lives are put at risk. Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) has launched a public awareness campaign highlighting what it describes as the hidden danger of undetected high blood pressure, a condition linked to one in every two heart attacks and strokes. As part of the

Causeway Hospital, Coleraine The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has reaffirmed its commitment to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine as the facility marks its 25th anniversary. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at the hospital on Thursday, interim chief executive Suzanne Pullins said the Trust had published an update as it “continues to deliver on its vision” for Causeway Hospital. The Trust said Causeway Hospital “continues to play a vital role in our hospital netwo

Psychological thrillers, contemporary romance and emotionally driven fiction are continuing to fly off the shelves at Waterstone’s Ballymena, with the latest weekly Top 10 revealing the books currently capturing readers’ attention across the town. As Father’s Day approaches, the Ballymena store is also encouraging shoppers to browse its growing range of books and gifts, while community book clubs and family storytime sessions continue to draw in readers of all ages. Top 10 th

SDLP leader Claire Hanna MP SDLP leader Claire Hanna MP is set to visit Cushendall next week for a public discussion event focused on the future of Northern Ireland, rural communities and the party’s vision for a “New Ireland”. The event, titled “In Conversation with Claire Hanna”, will take place at Tír na nÓg in Cushendall on Thursday 4 June at 7pm and is expected to centre on growing public frustration around political deadlock, pressures on public services and the challen

Ballycastle beach, County Antrim Northern Ireland’s bathing water system could face its biggest overhaul in years under new proposals that may change how swimming sites are identified, monitored and protected across the country. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a 12-week public consultation examining whether current bathing water rules are still fit for purpose as outdoor swimming surges in popularity and more people use coasta

A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the stabbing of a man during a motorcycle event in Carrickfergus earlier this week. Detectives investigating the violent incident, which happened during the “Storming the Castle” bike meet on Wednesday night, confirmed the arrest was made following a search operation in the Newtownabbey area on Saturday. The stabbing, which happened in the Rodgers Quay area near Carrickfergus Castle shortly after 7

Jonathon Fulton (CCP Chair), Dr Paul Roelle (US Consulate), Richard Hanna (CCP) Cullybackey Community Partnership has unveiled a major new exhibition exploring the remarkable role ordinary people from the local area played in the events surrounding American Independence — uncovering stories that stretch from rural Mid and East Antrim to the inner circle of George Washington himself. The project, titled Ordinary People Extraordinary History – Cullybackey and American Independe

Sea defences at 17 locations along the Belfast to Larne railway line are set to be reinforced under new Translink proposals aimed at protecting the vital transport corridor from coastal erosion and increasingly severe weather conditions. Plans for the East Antrim Sea Defences Project were unveiled during a series of public consultation drop-in sessions, the last of which was held at Glynn Village Hall outside Larne on Wednesday. The consultation events were organised to provi

Inset: Interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged the publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the use of temporary nursing staff across Northern Ireland. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, on Thursday morning, Suzanne Pullins said the report “sends out a very important message about reliance on temporary

Murdered: Ballymoney man Steven Peck, described by loved ones as a “gentle giant”. The final chapter in the murder case of Ballymoney man Steven Peck was played out in court on Friday as three men and a woman were sentenced over offences connected to the brutal attack that claimed the 33-year-old’s life. More than five years after Mr Peck suffered catastrophic head injuries in Ballymoney, Coleraine Crown Court heard the final sentences handed down to those involved in the cas

Neil Coleman (left) pictured with Ballymena United FC Chairman Chris Selwood Ballymena United FC has announced the appointment of experienced football communications specialist Neil Coleman as the club’s new Director of Communications and Marketing ahead of the 2026/2027 season. The appointment sees Coleman join the Sky Blues’ senior management structure with responsibility for overseeing the club’s communications strategy, media relations, digital platforms and wider brand d

Ballymena Rail and Bus Centre Motorists and public transport passengers in Ballymena are being warned to expect disruption for much of the summer as major roadworks linked to the expansion of the town’s Park & Ride facility get underway from Monday, 1 June. The works, centred around the busy Galgorm Road and Waveney Road junction near Ballymena Train Station, are expected to continue until the end of August 2026 as part of a significant upgrade project aimed at dramatically i