NEWS

Waveney Road and Clonavon Terrace in Ballymena Residents across Harryville and Clonavon are being encouraged to put their homes forward for a new competition celebrating the everyday efforts helping to improve both neighbourhoods. The Harryville and Clonavon Best Kept Property Competition offers cash prizes of up to £100, with judging due to take place from Monday 14 to Friday 18 September 2026. Small efforts can make a difference Organisers have stressed that entrants do not

Women’s Aid Retail Manager, Michelle McIlwrath , Director of Finance Karen McConkey and CEO, Gillian Robinson. (Images: Danielle Kernohan Photography) A new Women’s Aid shop has opened in Ballymena, with every purchase helping to fund specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse in the local area. The new premises at 23–25 Henry Street are the third retail outlet operated by Women’s Aid ABCLN and will also provide a place where women can access inform

(L-R): Ballymena Councillor Rodney Quigley and Ulster Unionist Party Leader & North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Cross-community cooperation behind the scenes has been credited with helping secure the return of flags stolen from Ballymena’s Somme Memorial, as work continues to prepare for their reinstatement at the Queen Street site. The flags have already been safely returned to the 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles Memorial Association after being recovered in Londonderry. Attent

Police have confirmed they are at the scene of a sudden death in the Wakehurst Park area of Ballymena. The incident was reported shortly after 10am today, Tuesday 18 August. Air ambulance lands at King George’s Park Witnesses reported seeing a number of police vehicles responding to the incident, while the HEMS Air Ambulance Northern Ireland landed nearby at King George’s Park on Larne Street. A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “Police are at the

A 26-year-old man arrested following two attacks on a war memorial in Ballymena has been released on bail as police continue their investigation. The man was arrested on Tuesday 11 August, on suspicion of theft and criminal damage in connection with incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville. Police have now confirmed today, Wednesday 12 August, that he has since been released on bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out. The development comes after the

Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has welcomed the arrest of a 26-year-old man following two attacks on a Ballymena war memorial, while stressing that the police investigation remains ongoing. The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage following incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville on Saturday, 8 August and Monday, 10 August. Police have previously sai

The War Memorial in Ballymena that was damaged on two occasion in recent days. A 26-year-old man has been arrested after two attacks on a Ballymena war memorial which police are treating as linked sectarian-motivated hate crimes. The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage following incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville on Saturday, 8 August and Monday, 10 August. Police confirmed today, Tuesday 11 August, that the 26-year-old remains in cust

A Ballymena war memorial has been vandalised for the second time in three days, with police now confirming they believe both attacks are linked and are treating them as sectarian-motivated hate crimes. Independent Ballymena Councillor Rodney Quigley said he was furious after the Queen Street memorial in Harryville was targeted again in the early hours of Monday, 10 August, with flags stolen and flag poles damaged. The latest incident came after the memorial was attacked early

The scene of the vandalism, which police are treating as a hate crime, at a community memorial in the Harryville area of Ballymena A Ballymena memorial to local men who died at the Battle of the Somme has been vandalised for the second time in three nights — just hours after its flags were replaced following the first attack. Independent Ballymena Councillor Rodney Quigley confirmed on Monday morning, 10 August, that the Queen Street memorial in Harryville had again been targ

The community memorial after it was vandalised on Saturday morning in Ballymena. Independent Ballymena councillor Rodney Quigley has said he is “absolutely disgusted” after a memorial dedicated to Queen Street men who lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme was vandalised and flags stolen overnight. The flagpole at the community memorial in the Harryville area of Ballymena was torn down and two Somme memorial flags stolen in an incident understood to have happened overnig

Ballymena Pet Vets on Henry Street, Ballymena For most pet owners, there are few decisions more important than choosing the right vet. Whether it’s an excited puppy’s first vaccination, an ageing dog beginning to slow down, a rabbit refusing to eat or the heartbreaking moment a beloved companion becomes seriously ill, every visit comes with one thing in common: trust. It’s that trust that Ballymena Pet Vets has worked to earn since opening its independent practice on Henry St

Mill House in Harryville; Councillor Lawrie Philpott attended the property. Residents in Harryville have been reassured that nobody is currently living in the long-vacant Mill House building on Henry Street in Ballymena following concerns circulating on social media about activity at the site. The former hostel, located close to Harryville Bridge, has remained vacant since closing in 2019 and has recently become the subject of online speculation regarding people allegedly ent

A man in his 60s was confronted by a burglar armed with two knives during a terrifying break-in at a home in Ballymena early on Thursday morning. Police said the intruder, who had his face covered and was dressed in dark clothing, entered a property in the Francis Street area at around 7:50am before confronting the occupant inside the house. The incident has left fresh concern in the local community following another serious burglary involving elderly residents in Ballymena e

Popular well-known Ballymena man Jonathan Gilmore who died suddenly on Thursday morning. Warm and heartfelt tributes have been pouring in across Ballymena following the sudden death of Jonathan Gilmore, affectionately known to many as “Spud”, whose passing has left the local community in shock. A popular and well-known local man, Jonathan was a familiar face within the town’s marching band scene and was widely regarded with great affection by those who knew him. As news of hi

Ballymena Police Station Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a man at a residential property in Ballymena in the early hours of Thursday morning, 2 April. It is understood the property is in the Harryville area of the town. The incident, which unfolded overnight, has prompted an active police investigation as officers work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the man’s death. At this stage, however, police have said the death

Pupils at Harryville Primary School, Ballymena learned how to look after their eyes during a visit from the team at Fitzsimons Opticians A Ballymena optician is taking eye care education straight into the classroom — with a clear goal: make eye tests feel normal, not frightening, for the next generation. Children as young as four at Harryville Primary School were given a hands-on introduction to eye health this week, as local optician John Broderick set out to “take the fear

Local residents in Ballymena are being urged to stay vigilant after a series of suspected distraction burglaries led to three arrests this week. Detectives say the incidents, which involved men offering bogus cleaning services before taking money from householders, have sparked concern in the local community. How the incidents unfolded According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), officers received a report at around 4pm on Monday, March 23, that a number of men

The zebra crossing following the completion of upgrade works. (Inset) Ballymena councillor Rodney Quigley Independent Ballymena councillor Rodney Quigley has welcomed the completion of long-awaited safety upgrades to a busy zebra crossing at Braidwater Retail Park, following a series of collisions that raised concerns within the local community. The improvements, carried out at the crossing near Sainsbury’s garage, were completed today (Wednesday 25 March) and are aimed at ma

A community standing and walking together in memory of Chloe Mitchell and in solidarity with the Mitchell and McDowell families. A moving vigil in Ballymena has brought a community together once again to honour the memory of Chloe Mitchell and show solidarity with her family ahead of the continuation of court proceedings later this week. The gathering, held in the Harryville area on Sunday 8 March, coincided with International Women’s Day and drew members of the local communi

Galgorm Collection is donating funding to Braidwater Seniors to enable them to knit hats and blankets for babies in Antrim Area Hospital. Tara Moore, third from left, Associate Director of Spa Operations at Galgorm Collection and Julie Elliott, nurse practitioner at Antrim Area Hospital are pictured with members of Braidwater Seniors . A group of Ballymena knitters are preparing to spend the coming months crafting tiny hats and blankets for newborn babies in hospital — a