NEWS

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon presents Ahoghill community volunteer Wallace Elder with his award. Tuesday 3 November 2026 An Ahoghill volunteer has been recognised for his contribution to making Mid and East Antrim a greener and more welcoming place, as 19 individuals, schools and community groups were celebrated at this year’s Mid & East Antrim in Bloom Community Awards. Wallace Elder was named Volunteer of the Year at a special ceremony in Larne Marke

Saturday 17 October 2026 A County Down gas engineer has been jailed for six months after carrying out illegal gas work at a Belfast property despite being subject to a prohibition notice preventing him from undertaking such work. Ian Campbell, trading as M.G.B Gas and Building Services, was sentenced at Laganside Crown Court on Friday 16 October after pleading guilty to three health and safety offences and a separate charge of fraud by misrepresentation. The court heard that

Wednesday 7 October 2026 The roll-out of blue recycling bins across Ballymena, Carrickfergus and surrounding areas is scheduled to be completed by 31 July 2027, a Mid and East Antrim Borough Council committee report has revealed. A Performance Improvement Plan presented to a recent meeting of the council’s Corporate Resources Policy and Governance Committee at The Braid in Ballymena sets out the timetable for the change. Blue bins ready to roll Councillors were told the mixed

Tuesday 22 September 2026 A Ballyclare builder has been given a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of six fraud offences in a case involving a Belfast homeowner who paid more than £32,000 for an extension that was left substantially unfinished. The homeowner had agreed a £32,000 price with Kyle Agnew, 38, of Charles Drive, Ballyclare, who was trading as KA Building Services. By February 2022, £31,825 had been paid, but major elements of the project remained in

L-R: Jenny Marshall, Executive Director for Community Programmes, William McCaughey, Vice Chair of Agewell, Cora McQuillian, Dots Sales & Marketing Officer, Nigel McKeown, Dots Gardening Home & Life Assistant A new gardening and outdoor maintenance service has launched in Ballymena, offering practical help to older people and other local residents who may struggle to keep on top of their gardens. The service has been introduced by Dots, the social enterprise operated by Agewe

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly joins Kohen McLaughlin and Eadie McErlean to launch the return of the Summer Rose Fair at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park. Thousands of roses will burst into bloom as one of Belfast’s most colourful summer events returns next month, bringing three days of live entertainment, family activities, food, music and floral displays to one of the city’s best-loved parks. The annual Summer Rose Fair will take place at Sir Thomas and

Joan Whittaker and Elizabeth Connor at the Home and Garden Show Ireland Visitors turned out in force as Home and Garden Show Ireland 2026 opened its gates at Antrim Castle Gardens on Friday, marking the start of a packed weekend celebrating gardening, food, home living and outdoor inspiration. The event, formerly known as Garden Show Ireland, has returned this year with a significantly expanded format and one major improvement that quickly proved its worth on opening day — a

Residents across the Borough are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves, plant for pollinators and help make local communities greener as the Mid and East Antrim In Bloom 2026 Community Competitions officially open for entries. With 12 free-to-enter categories and prizes available for both winners and runners-up, the annual initiative is once again inviting households, community groups and gardening enthusiasts to showcase the very best of local horticulture while supporti

Residents across the Borough can pick up a free bag of peat-free compost this week as Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council launches a recycling reward initiative to mark International Compost Awareness Week 2026. From Monday 4 May until Saturday 9 May, households visiting any of the Council’s five Household Recycling Centres will be eligible to receive one complimentary bag of compost while stocks last. The offer is available to residents bringing recyclable items includin

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, councillor Jackson Minford cuts the ribbon at the newly developed Gibson Paving centre in Portglenone, with the Gibson family. A major £250,000 investment is set to reshape how homeowners across Northern Ireland plan their outdoor spaces, as Gibson Paving opens the doors to a newly redeveloped paving and outdoor living centre in Portglenone. The relaunch marks a significant moment for the long-established family business, blending more than four

New homes built at the St Patrick’s development in Ballymena A new chapter in Ballymena’s housing landscape is underway as Co-Ownership customers begin moving into homes at the St Patrick’s development — a large-scale mixed-tenure scheme designed to expand access to affordable home ownership while reshaping a key area of the town. The development, delivered by Radius Housing with MJ McBride Construction as lead contractor, comprises 135 homes built to full turnkey specificati

Residents across Mid and East Antrim are being invited to collect free compost from local Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) as part of a borough-wide initiative to promote sustainability and reduce landfill waste. The scheme, delivered by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in partnership with Natural World Products (NWP), will run for a limited four-day period from Wednesday 6 May to Saturday 9 May 2026, marking International Compost Awareness Week. During the initiative, h

Ballymena man Colin Agnew reaches the Final of BBC NI’s Greatest Gardens A Ballymena gardener whose suburban home has been transformed into a hidden botanical wonderland has secured the fourth and last place in the upcoming final of BBC Northern Ireland’s Greatest Gardens, after impressing judges with a design described as full of “mystery and intrigue”. Colin Agnew, head gardener at Belfast’s Botanic Gardens , captured the attention of viewers and judges alike for his imagin

A newly refurbished luxury bathroom showroom has opened its doors in Antrim, offering homeowners and trade professionals a fresh wave of inspiration — and time-limited deals to match. Watershed, part of leading builders’ merchant MacBlair, has officially unveiled its upgraded showroom within the MacBlair Antrim branch, showcasing modern design trends and practical solutions for bathroom projects of all sizes. To mark the relaunch, customers can take advantage of exclusive in-

Channel 4's Location, Location, Location –a property show hosted by experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer Channel 4’s flagship property show Location, Location, Location is heading back to Northern Ireland — and this time, it’s the house hunters who are being called to step forward. The long-running primetime programme is casting for its 2026 series and is actively looking for individuals, couples and families across Northern Ireland who are ready to buy this May. For anyo

Finalist in BBC NI’s House Of The Year, Knots Landing, Ballymena Images: BBC NI / Elyse Kennedy A striking detached new build near Ballymena has been named the second home to secure a coveted place in the House Of The Year final, placing the property firmly in the national spotlight. Knots Landing, located outside Ballymena, impressed judges in the current BBC Northern Ireland series, earning its place among the five standout homes competing for the prestigious title. Celebra

Dobbies’ Senior Plant Buyer, Claire Bishop, with Poinsettias. (Images: Stewart Attwood Photography) Dobbies’ Lisburn and Antrim stores are ushering in the festive season with the arrival of their highly anticipated annual delivery of poinsettias. The popular garden centre chain is expecting strong customer demand this year, particularly for the traditional red variety, as nostalgic Christmas décor trends continue to dominate. The delivery marks the start of a blooming festive

Alix Mulholland, Co-founder of Co. Down-based home fragrance company FieldDay, joins Dawn Miskelly, CEO of Ulster Wildlife, and Maureen Carvill, Wildlife Gardening Officer at Ulster Wildlife, to celebrate a new partnership to inspire 5,000 households across Northern Ireland to make space for nature in their garden Local County Down fragrance company FieldDay has joined forces with conservation charity Ulster Wildlife to inspire 5,000 households to take part in the Let Nature

Ian Clark from Taylor’s Bulbs is pictured with Catherine Crawford, Relationship Fundraiser at Alzheimer’s Research UK. (©Stewart Attwood)...

Grow How workshops at Dobbies Garden Centres. Image: Stewart Attwood Dobbies Garden Centres in Antrim and Lisburn are inviting families...