NEWS

The Pilgrim’s Europe site team at Randalstown Feed Mill. From supplying groceries and agricultural goods in 1926 to producing poultry feed today, Randalstown Feed Mill is marking a century in business with more than 80 jobs supported across its operations. The Pilgrim’s Europe site has served generations of the farming community, developing from a local supplier into a mill supporting the company’s poultry production and wider agricultural supply chain. Staff and partners gat

Suzanne Garuda of Garuda Design and Judith Owens MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast are pictured as the world-famous visitor attraction announces the completion of the first phase of an investment programme in its event spaces, with the iconic Titanic Suite reopening this week following a major refurbishment. Titanic Belfast’s Grand Staircase event suite is reopening this week after a major refurbishment, as the venue prepares to host 60 events between September and Dec

A six-day programme of historical presentations, political discussions and traditional events will culminate in an Ulster Day Parade through Ballymena later this month. The annual Ulster Covenant Festival, organised by the Apprentice Boys of Derry Ballymena and District Amalgamated Committee, will run from Monday 21 September until Saturday 26 September. Events will include discussions examining the present and future of unionism and loyalism, a presentation on the Ballymena

(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

The Ulster Aviation Society is preparing to throw open its historic wartime hangars for what promises to be its biggest European Heritage Open Days weekend yet, with more aircraft, historic vehicles and entertainment added as visitor numbers continue to soar. The entirely volunteer-run charity will welcome the public to Maze Long Kesh, near Lisburn, on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, with free admission and parking and no need to book in advance. Running from 10am until

Paul Savage (left) with Christian Reynolds in front of the 80th anniversary mural. Wrightbus is asking generations of workers, passengers and bus enthusiasts to help recover eight decades of its history after significant archive material was lost before the Ballymena manufacturer was rescued from administration in 2019. As the company marks its 80th anniversary, it has launched a public appeal for photographs, stories and personal memories that can help rebuild a record stret

Glenarm Village Committee members (L-R) Robert Taggart, Linda Hylands, Hilary Cross, John Duggan, Frances Wilson, and Emer Furey. A celebration of books, art, local history, storytelling, film, poetry and live music will take over Glenarm next weekend as the village’s Arts & Literary Fayre returns following a successful inaugural event last year. Organised by Glenarm Village Committee, the Glenarm Arts & Literary Fayre (GALF) will run across Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August,

St Patrick’s Church, Ballymena Four hundred years to the day since King Charles I granted the Ballymena Estate to William Adair, people from across the town and wider borough are being invited to come together for a special Service of Thanksgiving marking the historic anniversary. The civic service will take place at St Patrick’s Church, Ballymena, on Tuesday 25 August at 7.30pm, forming part of this year’s Ballymena 400 celebrations. The anniversary provides a rare opportuni

Ballymena BID is bringing businesses, families and visitors together for two major days of town-centre celebrations as Ballymena prepares to mark its 400th birthday. An End of Summer and Ballymena 400 Street Party will take over Greenvale Street on Saturday 22 August, before businesses across the town join the official birthday celebrations on Tuesday 25 August. The programme, with support from Department for Communities (DfC), will run alongside a number of anniversary event

Mrs Clover Bell is pictured with the century-old, beautifully framed portrait of the Dinsmore sisters, which she has generously donated to the council’s museum collection, in memory of her late husband Nelson. The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon, received the donation while former Ulster Museum curator of art, Mrs Anne Stewart, was delighted to see the painting once again – having last seen it as a child in the Dinsmore family home. A striking portrait p

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

A leading County Armagh historian will visit Broughshane this week to give a public presentation examining one of the most significant events in Irish and British history ahead of the annual Relief of Derry commemorations next month. The Broughshane Branch of the Apprentice Boys of Derry is hosting historian Quincey Dougan for an evening exploring the Siege of Derry and the history of the Apprentice Boys, with the talk taking place on Wednesday 29 July at Broughshane Orange H

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon, is pictured with Shirin Murphy, Heritage Officer, at Carrickfergus Museum ahead of the Mapping Medieval Carrickfergus events In August People with an interest in local history will have the chance to explore what Carrickfergus may have looked like nearly 800 years ago at a free event next month showcasing a new interactive medieval map of the town. On Saturday, 15 August, Carrickfergus Museum will host a day of workshops a

One of Northern Ireland’s best-known celebrations of heritage, machinery and country life returns to Ballymena this week as the Ballymena Steam Rally gets under way with three days of steam engines, vintage vehicles, road runs and family attractions. The Ballymena Steam Rally runs from Thursday 23 July to Saturday 25 July at Ballymena Livestock Market, bringing together historic machinery, classic vehicles, traditional crafts and family entertainment before culminating in Sat

The Giant’s Causeway, on Northern Ireland’s North Antrim coastline. Thousands of coins wedged into the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway have now been removed after experts warned the long-standing visitor tradition was causing lasting damage to one of Northern Ireland’s most famous natural landmarks. The National Trust has confirmed that a major conservation project at the UNESCO World Heritage Site has been completed, with specialists removing 20.5kg of coins — around

Glenarm Castle, County Antrim Planning permission has been granted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the installation of solar panels at Glenarm Castle. The listed building consent application was submitted by Antrim Estates Company. Glenarm Castle is a Grade A listed building, recognised for its special architectural and historic interest. A planning officer’s report said the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division (HED) raised no objections to the

Kellswater Flute Band at the Ulster Memorial Tower, Thiepval, France Kellswater Flute Band has returned from what members described as one of the most significant engagements in the band’s history after taking part in the 110th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme in France and Belgium. The band participated in a series of remembrance events marking the anniversary of the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, performing at some of the most importa

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

Arthur Cottage Cullybackey is set to take its place on an international heritage trail linking the ancestral homes of American presidents, as Tourism NI unveils a major programme of new visitor experiences designed to attract more overseas visitors to Northern Ireland. The village is one of four key locations on the new ‘Presidents, Heritage & Homecomings: The Ancestral Cottage Trail’ – a premium two-day guided experience that will connect the homesteads and heritage of US pr

The Galeón Andalucía A floating museum that has sailed some of the world’s greatest oceans has dropped anchor in Coleraine, giving visitors a rare opportunity to step aboard a full-scale replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon. For just five days, from today, July 15, to July 19, the Galeón Andalucía will open its decks to the public at Coleraine Harbour, offering an experience that transports visitors back to the age of exploration, trade routes and global discovery. The i