NEWS

Broughshane actor James Nesbitt will join a spectacular line-up of supercars, family attractions and fundraising activities this weekend as Clarke prepares to stage its biggest-ever Charity Car Show in Ballymena. The much-loved local event returns on Saturday 27th June at Clarke HQ on Raceview Road and organisers believe this year’s show could be the largest and most ambitious since it first launched three years ago. With a Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo and multiple Lamborghin

Ballymena couple Joy and David Wright “It gives you a spark and a spring in your step, it’s just amazing.” That is how a Ballymena couple describe the experience of providing short break foster care for children with disabilities as they encourage others across Northern Ireland to consider opening their homes to children and families in need of support. David and Joy Wright have seen first-hand the difference short break fostering can make — not only for children with disabil

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Henry Cushinan, congratulates sisters Aislinn (far right) and Meagan Joyce on the launch of Randalstown’s new walking group, The Maine Walkers. Also pictured is Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Walking for All Officer, Bridie Kelly. Residents in Randalstown are being invited to lace up their walking shoes and explore their local area as two sisters launch a new community walking group aimed at improving health, wellbei

Families flying with Ryanair will see a change to how their seats are allocated from today (Thursday, June 25), after Europe’s largest airline announced a tweak to its long-standing family seating policy. The airline says parents who choose not to pay to reserve seats in advance will now receive their family seating allocation free of charge only after checking in for their flight, bringing its approach into line with what it describes as the industry standard across Europe.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Northern Ireland, with forecasters warning that heavy showers and thunderstorms could bring disruption to parts of the region on Friday morning. The Met Office warning comes into effect from 12:00am until 10:00am on Friday, 26 June 2026, with the potential for intense downpours, hail and frequent lightning where storms develop. While not every area will be affected, the Met Office says some places could experience sudden bursts of

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Patients across Northern Ireland are being urged to attend appointments as normal despite planned industrial action by doctors over the coming days, with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt insisting that more than 90% of Health and Social Care services will continue as scheduled. The reassurance comes ahead of a 24-hour period of industrial action by consultants and Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors, due to begin at 7am on Thursday 25 Ju

Marks & Spencer’s is latest food-on-the-move innovation, the new Chocolate, Strawberry & Pistachio Creme Sandwich Marks & Spencer is bringing back its hugely popular Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich after it sold more than one million units in just five weeks last summer, while also launching a brand-new chocolate and pistachio version in time for Wimbledon. The retailer announced the return of the fan-favourite sandwich alongside the launch of its new Chocolate, Straw

Rent a garage: Housing Executive garages are available to rent at sites across Mid and East Antrim. People across Mid and East Antrim are being offered the chance to rent secure garage space for little more than £12 a week, as the Housing Executive makes a number of garages available in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. The garages, which are available to both Housing Executive tenants and members of the wider public, are being offered at a weekly rental rate of approximat

Hot weather may be welcomed by many across Northern Ireland, but health experts are warning that prolonged exposure to heat and sunshine can have serious consequences, with rising numbers of sunburn injuries, heat-related illnesses and deaths linked to excessive temperatures. The Public Health Agency (PHA), alongside the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Children’s Burns Trust, is urging people to take simple precautions to protect themselves and t

Church Street Car Park Three, Ballymena Mid and East Antrim councillors have agreed to the installation of barriers at a town centre car park in Ballymena at a cost of £13,000 in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour. Members of the borough council’s Environment and Economy Committee approved the installation of automatic barriers at Church Street Car Park Three in response to complaints from nearby residents. The decision was taken at a meeting in The Braid, Ballymena, on Mond

New drivers across Northern Ireland will face a major overhaul of the licensing system from October after MLAs approved legislation paving the way for Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). The Assembly on Tuesday, 23 June approved Regulations confirming that the new road safety scheme will come into force on 1 October 2026, marking the most significant reform of driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years. Designed to reduce the disproportionate number of fatal and serious ro

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured with George Healy (Go Succeed, Belfast City Council), Prof Thomas Cooney (Technological University Dublin), and Marty McLaughlin (Disability Action) to launch this year’s programme. People with disabilities across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to turn their business ideas into reality through a specialist entrepreneurship programme that is now open for applications for a second year. The Self Employment for Persons wit

As temperatures climb across the UK and parts of the country face a rare red heat warning, Dogs Trust Ballymena is urging dog owners to rethink their daily walking routines, warning that a missed walk is far safer than a dog suffering painful burns or potentially life-threatening heatstroke. The charity says many owners underestimate how quickly hot weather can become dangerous for dogs, particularly when pavements, roads and other hard surfaces absorb heat throughout the day

Football, family entertainment and the chance to meet Ballymena United’s newest signings will all be on offer when the club hosts a free community fun day at the Ballymena Showgrounds next month. With free admission for everyone, the event on Saturday 4 July is designed to bring supporters, families and local residents together for an afternoon packed with activities both on and off the pitch as excitement builds ahead of the new season. Visitors can look forward to face pain

Thousands of music fans heading to see Zach Bryan in Belfast this week are being urged to plan their journeys carefully, with significant road closures and traffic restrictions expected around Boucher Playing Fields on both concert nights. The American country music star will perform at Boucher Playing Fields on Tuesday 23 June and Wednesday 24 June, with traffic disruption anticipated across the surrounding area between 5pm and midnight on both evenings. Motorists, concertgo

Professor Christine Brown Wilson Dementia is set to become one of the biggest health challenges facing Northern Ireland in the coming decades, with the number of people living with the condition expected to almost double by 2040. That warning comes from a leading dementia expert at Queen’s University Belfast, who is urging greater understanding, earlier diagnosis and stronger community support as thousands more families are expected to be affected. Currently, more than 22,000

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met members of the armed forces in Coleraine, including Seamus, the regimental mascot of the Irish Guards. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has used Armed Forces Day celebrations in Coleraine to encourage veterans, serving personnel and their families to access Northern Ireland’s first dedicated government support line for the armed forces community. The call comes just weeks after the launch of

Dr Nevan Joyce, Stroke Consultant at Antrim Area Hospital, and Stroke Liaison Nurse, Emma McAllister. A stroke can happen without warning, and every minute counts when it does. Health professionals across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust are urging people to recognise the signs of a stroke and seek emergency medical help immediately, warning that delays in treatment can have life-changing consequences. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is int

Passengers across Northern Ireland are being urged to check before they travel as summer bus timetables come into effect from Tuesday, July 1, bringing changes to services during the school holiday period. The timetable changes will affect a wide range of services operated by Translink, including Ulsterbus, Goldliner, Metro, Glider and Foyle Metro routes, as well as Park and Ride services. The annual summer timetable adjustments coincide with schools breaking for the summer h

Maggie O’Farrell’s Land remains at the top of the bestseller chart at Waterstone’s Ballymena this week, as readers continue to gravitate towards a mix of literary fiction, romance, mystery and crime. The latest weekly update from the Ballymena bookshop also highlights upcoming book clubs, family storytime sessions and a host of acclaimed new titles, including several books shortlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize. Top 10 this week A varied selection of bestselling fiction do