NEWS

North West 200 race 1 Supertwin Sportbike Race 2: Storm Stacey celebrates winning the final race of the day the second Superbike race during the International North West 200. (All photos: Stephen Davison/Pacemaker Press unless otherwise stated) Storm Stacey delivered one of the standout performances in recent North West 200 history on Saturday as the English newcomer stunned the road racing world with two race wins, a lap record, and a fearless display across a dramatic day d

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

Entrance to visitor car park at Antrim Area Hospital Patients and families across Northern Ireland will continue paying hospital parking charges for at least the next three years after new legislation formally passed into law. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt confirmed the Hospital Parking Charges Bill has now received Royal Assent, delaying plans to abolish charges that had originally been due to end under legislation passed in 2022. The move means hospital parking fees will rem

Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer for Fibrus Group with Ronan Conlon, Founder of FitMinds Coach, and FitMinds programme participants. Children of all abilities across Northern Ireland are set to take part in a major programme of inclusive summer activity camps after FitMinds Coach announced plans to welcome more than 1,000 young children to sessions across 20 locations this summer. The one-day camps, designed for children aged three to six, will run throughout July and Au

Ballymena United emerged among the standout winners as more than 500 young footballers and over 2,000 spectators packed into Cookstown for a dramatic NIYFA Subway Cup Finals Day celebrating the very best of youth football across Northern Ireland. The Ballymena club secured silverware in both the Boys’ and Girls’ competitions, with the Boys’ Under-12 side lifting the Cup title after an extra-time victory over Glenavon, while Ballymena United’s girls edged a tense penalty shoot

Launching the Mid and East Antrim Construction and Scaffolding Academy are: (l-r) Amanda Crossen, Project Manager at CITBNI); Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford; Charlene Earley from Workforce Training) and Steven Douglas of 7 Towers Scaffolding. A new Construction and Scaffolding Academy aimed at helping local people into employment has opened for applications across Mid and East Antrim, offering participants industry-recognised qualifications, practic

Georgia Gamble is a Senior Community Nurse with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, based between the Country Medical Centre in Armoy and Bushmills Health Centre as part of the Moyle Rural District Nursing Team. A Northern Trust community nurse has spoken about the importance of compassionate care, meaningful relationships and patient advocacy ahead of International Nurses Day next week. Georgia Gamble, a Senior Community Nurse with the Northern Health and Social Care

Donnelly Group has expanded its electric vehicle and hybrid offering with the opening of two new dedicated BYD showrooms in Ballymena and Dungannon. (L-R: Malcolm Kerr, Dave Sheeran, Paul Compton, Emma Donnelly and Terence Donnelly) Northern Ireland’s largest independently owned vehicle retailer, Donnelly Group, has expanded its electric and hybrid vehicle offering with the opening of two new dedicated BYD showrooms in Ballymena and Dungannon. The move marks a significant inv

Kamil Holán The rider who lost his life following an incident during qualifying at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 has been named as Czech competitor Kamil Holán. The 48-year-old rider died after an incident during Thursday morning’s Superbike qualifying session at Station Corner on the famous Triangle circuit on Northern Ireland’s north coast. His death sent shockwaves through the international road racing community, with tributes pouring in from fellow riders, team

Dean Harrison takes North West 200 Superbike pole Thursday evening qualifying resumed at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 following the day’s earlier fatal incident, with riders returning to the Triangle circuit for shortened final sessions across all four classes. In difficult circumstances on the north coast, Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison emerged as the fastest man in the Superbike class, securing pole position for Saturday’s feature races after producing the quickes

Police in Ballymena are appealing for information after tools were stolen from a trailer outside a home in the Ashbourne Manor area on Wednesday morning. The theft was reported to have happened shortly after 11am on Wednesday 7 May, with officers now investigating the incident and seeking witnesses or footage from the area. A white Vauxhall Grandland or Vauxhall Frontera was seen in the vicinity at the time of the theft before leaving in the direction of the Woodbourne Road.

Aerial visual of proposed IFA national football centre outside Ballymena A planning application has been lodged with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the development of a proposed national football centre outside Ballymena. The proposal includes six football pitches — five outdoor and one indoor — with three hybrid surfaces and three artificial surfaces. One pitch is earmarked as a community pitch, while three pitches would be floodlit. The plans also include three spe

A competitor at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 has died following an incident during Thursday morning’s Superbike qualifying session on the famous Triangle circuit. Organisers confirmed the rider suffered fatal injuries after an incident at Station Corner on the NW200 course, prompting the session to be immediately red flagged as emergency services rushed to the scene. The tragedy has cast a sombre shadow over one of Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting events, with

Ballymena Show is set to return later this month with organisers promising a major refresh aimed at broadening the appeal of one of the area’s best-known agricultural events. The annual show will take place on Saturday 30 May 2026 at Ballymena Livestock Market, bringing together farming traditions, local food, family entertainment, and new attractions under a renewed “Farming, Food and Family” vision. Gates will open at 9:00am, with showing beginning from 10:00am, as visitors

A planning application has been submitted to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for a proposed new solar farm adjacent to Belfast International Airport. The proposal is for the installation and operation of a solar farm of up to 24MW, along with associated infrastructure, access routes and landscaping, on land located around one kilometre west of the main airport terminal building between Seacash Road and British Road, Crumlin. The application has been submitted by an ag

Volunteer Coordinator Sharon with volunteers, Helen and Clodagh and Macmillan Cancer Support’s Chief Executive Gemma Peters at the awards ceremony Four volunteers who help families through the heartbreak of losing a loved one to cancer at Antrim Hospital have been recognised for the compassion and comfort they provide during some of life’s most difficult moments. The Macmillan Unit Bereavement Call Service team at Antrim Hospital were named runners up in the Thanks To You Awa

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick promotes her Party in the Parterre at Antrim Castle Gardens in aid of her chosen charities. Families across the borough are being invited to Antrim Castle Gardens later this month as the Mayor’s Party in the Parterre returns with an afternoon packed full of entertainment, activities and fundraising for local charities. The community event will take place on Saturday 30 May from 1pm to 4pm in the scenic surrounding

Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots MLA launching the Assembly’s engagement events at the 2026 Balmoral Show. The Northern Ireland Assembly is set to bring major public policy discussions directly to thousands of visitors at the Balmoral Show next week, with Assembly committees launching a series of engagement sessions on issues ranging from health and renewable energy to marriage law and the Windsor Framework. The initiative will see Assembly Members and scrutiny c

Brothers and keen farmers, Adam and Matthew, join Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) operations director, Rhonda Geary as they count down to this year's show and encourage visitors to travel by bus or train, with convenient, reliable and hassle-free services available throughout the event. Northern Ireland’s biggest celebration of farming, food and rural life is set to return next week, with thousands expected to descend on the Eikon Exhibition Centre for the 2026 Balm