NEWS

Pictured with Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Borough, Councillor Jackson Minford are local musicians Rodney Beggs and ‘Lacey’. Ballymena is preparing to celebrate a landmark moment in its history as the town marks 400 years since the foundations of the modern settlement were established. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has now unveiled a major programme of Ballymena 400 events for 2026, with organisers promising a year of community celebration, local history, family entertain

Aaron Hughes backed the launch and is pictured with Ryan Lemon, Regional Manager for Marks & Spencer Northern Ireland, and Reuben, Daisie and Olivia Lemon. M&S Food has teamed up with Panini and the Irish FA to launch an exclusive Northern Ireland football sticker collection celebrating the country’s senior men’s and women’s teams — giving young fans across Northern Ireland the chance to collect local football heroes this summer. The limited-edition collection features 50 sti

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford blows the starting whistle as young runners set off for the junior parkrun in The People's Park, Ballymena. More than 100 children are now turning out every week for Ballymena’s junior parkrun, with the Sunday morning event rapidly becoming one of the town’s most popular new family activities. Held in The People’s Park every Sunday at 9.30am, the free 2K run for children aged four to 14 has created a fresh buzz around t

CAFRE representatives, Albert Johnson and Dr Eileen McCloskey pictured with UFU policy officer, Kellie McEvoy, and UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy, at the launch of the 2026 Beef Conference. Farmers from across Northern Ireland are set to gather at Greenmount Campus next month for a major beef industry conference focused on one of the sector’s biggest challenges — how to improve profitability while meeting growing sustainability demands. Hosted jointly by the Ulster Farmers’

Passengers due to fly from UK airports this summer have been told there is currently “no need” to change travel plans despite growing international concern over jet fuel supplies linked to disruption in the Middle East. The UK Government said airlines operating across the UK are not currently experiencing a jet fuel shortage, while airports continue to maintain fuel reserves to help keep flights operating normally. The reassurance comes amid ongoing uncertainty following the

A brand-new beer festival is coming to Antrim Castle Gardens this summer, bringing more than 40 beers, cocktails, wines, live entertainment and food vendors to one of Northern Ireland’s most scenic outdoor venues. The first-ever Antrim Castle Gardens Beer Festival will take place across two days on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June 2026, running from 12 noon until 10pm each day. Organisers say the new event is aimed at lovers of craft beer, cider, wine and cocktails, with the fe

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland (GOLI) is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors to its stand at this year’s Balmoral Show, with organisers promising a busy four days featuring community engagement, heritage displays, fundraising efforts and giveaways. The Institution will once again have a presence at Northern Ireland’s largest agricultural showcase when the 157th Balmoral Show takes place from 13–16 May at the Eikon Exhibition Centre. More than 120,000 visitors are ex

Pictured at the launch of the Death Positive Library in Coleraine, including Fiona Gilmour, Northern Trust Macmillan Service Improvement Lead, Sharon Williams, Project Manager, Compassionate Communities NI, the Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Richard Stewart-Brown, Seamus Coyle, the Northern Trust’s Lead Nurse Consultant Adult Learning Disability Team, Anne O’Hagan, Macmillan Community Palliative Care Service Improvement Facilitator, Diane M

Thousands of pounds are expected to be raised for Alzheimer’s Society this summer as Clarke prepares to bring back its hugely popular Charity Car Show to Ballymena — with organisers promising the biggest and most ambitious event yet. Now entering its third year, the growing community event has become one of the standout local motoring showcases in the area, attracting families, car enthusiasts and supporters from across Northern Ireland. This year’s show will take place on Sa

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

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

Northern Ireland’s leading companion animal welfare organisations have backed sweeping proposed changes to dog breeding laws, saying the reforms could help crack down on low-welfare breeding practices and raise standards across the industry. The Northern Ireland Companion Animal Welfare Group (NICAWG) has welcomed the findings of DAERA’s independent Expert Advisory Group Breeding Review, published on Friday, May 8, describing the recommendations as a major opportunity to stre

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

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir pictured with Expert Advisory Group members (L-R) Susan Cunningham, Professor Gareth Arnott and Vanessa Barnes. Recommendations aimed at dramatically strengthening dog breeding welfare standards in Northern Ireland have been handed to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), paving the way for what could become the most significant overhaul of breeding regulations in years. An independent Expert Advisory Group has comple

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

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

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir launches major animal welfare reform consultation for Northern Ireland Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir has launched a major public consultation on new animal welfare reforms in Northern Ireland, including proposals to regulate rescue and rehoming organisations, tighten dog microchipping rules, ban certain training devices, and increase dog licence fees. The consultation mar

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

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has approved significant changes to childcare regulations in Northern Ireland, paving the way for childminders to care for more children while easing some of the recruitment pressures facing the sector. The reforms, which follow a public consultation involving almost 500 responses, will alter adult-to-child ratios in both childminding and group day care settings and reduce the requirement for GP-signed health assessments for many childcare workers