NEWS

UK Chancellor John Healey before making today’s Autumn Budget. (Picture by Kirsty O'Connor / No 10 Downing Street) Wednesday 28 October 2026 Households across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from lower heating oil import costs, continued fuel duty relief and increases in the minimum wage following Budget 2026, but questions remain over electricity support, business rates and whether additional funding will ease pressure on struggling public services. Chancellor John Heale

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA, and the party’s candidate for Mid Ulster in next May’s Northern Ireland Assembly election, Ian Irwin. Monday 26 October 2026 The Ulster Unionist Party has selected former prison officer and victims advocate Ian Irwin as its candidate for Mid Ulster in next May’s Northern Ireland Assembly election. Mr Irwin, who has been a member of the party for more than 15 years, will seek to secure an Assembly seat for the UUP in a constituency

Tuesday 27 October 2026 Glentoran Women and Cliftonville Ladies will go head-to-head tonight (Tuesday 27 October) in the Women’s Challenge Cup Final, with football fans across Northern Ireland able to watch the action live on BBC Sport NI. The final takes place at the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast, with kick-off at 7.30pm. Coverage begins at 7.15pm on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport NI website. Defending champions Cliftonville will be looking to retain

Monday 26 October 2026 Mid and East Antrim councillors have been given details of millions of pounds spent on road improvements across the borough during the last financial year, alongside plans for further resurfacing, maintenance and street lighting upgrades in 2026/27. Presenting the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) annual roads report to the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee at The Braid in Ballymena last week, Alan Keys, Divisional Roads Manager for

The newly installed commemorative plaque in the Harryville area of Ballymena Monday 26 October 2026 Long before Liam Neeson became Ballymena’s best-known Hollywood star, another local actor was making his mark on the silver screen – and now his remarkable story has been commemorated in the heart of Harryville. A new plaque has been unveiled on Queen Street in honour of Robert Baxter McKenzie, better known as Bob McKenzie, who appeared in more than 300 films and helped establi

Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena Monday 26 October 2026 Leisure centres in Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus could open from 6am until 10pm on weekdays under plans approved by a Mid and East Antrim Borough Council committee to introduce longer, standardised opening hours across all three facilities. The proposals, which would affect Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena, Larne Leisure Centre and the Amphitheatre in Carrickfergus, are expected to come into operation

Monday 26 October 2026 easyJet passengers will be able to access high-speed internet during flights for the first time from 2027, following a new partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. The airline plans to introduce Wi-Fi across its Airbus A320, A320neo and A321neo aircraft, allowing customers to stream films, browse the internet, play online games and stay in touch while travelling. The rollout is scheduled to begin during the first half of 2027, with installa

Belfast City Centre Monday 26 October 2026 Plans for a major overhaul of transport across Belfast and its surrounding metropolitan area have been unveiled, including a city centre-wide 20mph speed limit, new Glider routes, expanded cycling infrastructure and measures to reduce through-traffic. The proposals form part of the draft Eastern Transport Plan (ETP) 2035, which has been opened for public consultation by Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins. They could change how resid

The Jaq Group won the Business Growth award at this year’s Ballymena Business Awards. Pictured are, from left, Connor Martin, founder and managing director of The Jaq Group, Julie Kitson from LEAP and Ryan Martin from The Jaq Group. Monday 26 October 2026 A fragrance business founded just seven years ago has celebrated a double victory at the Ballymena Business Awards 2026, having grown into a global operation employing more than 230 people and recording annual turnover of £

Pictured from left are Darren Stirling, Ryan McKenzie, Jonathan Pankhurst, Kyle Rae and Paul Stirling at the launch of Whataboutye M.A.T.Es’ free Mental Health Toolbox app, developed to help men across Northern Ireland look after their mental wellbeing and find support before reaching crisis point. Sunday 25 October 2026 A free mental health app created by a Northern Ireland men's support group has been launched to help men recognise when they are struggling, manage their wel

Sunday 25 October 2026 The extraordinary campaign for justice following the murder of Belfast father Robert McCartney is the focus of a new three-part BBC documentary, with all episodes available to watch now on BBC iPlayer ahead of tonight’s television broadcast. Murder in Belfast: Sisters Seeking Justice tells how five sisters challenged the IRA following their brother’s killing, taking their demands for answers from the streets of Belfast to the White House. Produced by th

Saturday 24 October 2026 Lee and Andrew Child have taken the number one spot at Waterstone’s Ballymena with Chain Reaction, the latest Jack Reacher thriller, as the store reveals a fresh Top 10 featuring crime fiction, literary favourites and classic novels. Joanna Miller’s The Eights takes second place, while Claire Douglas completes the top three with The Family Friend. Irish author Niall Williams also features strongly, with O Now! taking fourth place. The latest chart inc

Ballymena United captain Aaron Stewart lifts the County Antrim Shield after defeating Linfield in Tuesday nights Final at the Oval on 27 November 2012. (Image: William Cherry/Presseye) Friday 23 October 2026 Every footballer who has pulled on a Ballymena United shirt at senior level is being invited back to the Showgrounds for a special reunion celebrating the players who have helped shape the club’s history. The Sky Blues will host their first-ever Past Players Day on Satur

Friday 23 October 2026 Twenty years after Snow Patrol released one of Northern Ireland’s most successful albums, a special concert in Belfast will celebrate the music that helped propel the band to international fame. The Oh Yeah Music Centre will host a 20th anniversary celebration of Eyes Open on Friday 6 November, bringing together six artists to perform their own interpretations of songs from the landmark 2006 album. Taking place as part of Sound of Belfast 2026, the even

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon, pictured with members of the Mid and East Antrim Business Stakeholder Network and local business owner, Gina Thompson of Causeway Aromatics, after their recent meeting at Northern Regional College in Ballymena. Friday 23 October 2026 Businesses across Mid and East Antrim have secured more than £384,600 in additional funding through a council-backed support network, helping local firms invest in growth, develop new products

CGI of the approved new Home Bargains store in Antrim Friday 23 October 2026 Plans for a new £8 million Home Bargains store in Antrim have been approved by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee, paving the way for a major retail investment expected to create 95 jobs and regenerate the former Townparks Car Sales site. The development, located at the junction of Ballymena Road and Springfarm Industrial Estate, will see the existing site transformed into a

Thursday 22 October 2026 Households across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to prepare for up to three days of disruption to essential services, as the UK Government launches a new campaign to help families cope with emergencies including severe storms and power cuts. The advice focuses on simple, affordable steps people can take before an emergency, including keeping bottled water and non-perishable food at home, and ensuring vulnerable household members are registered

Former Irish State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy Wednesday 21 October 2026 The extraordinary story of eight women convicted of witchcraft in County Antrim more than 300 years ago is to be revisited in a new RTÉ documentary presented by former State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy. Airing on Thursday 29 October, the one-hour programme will investigate Ireland’s last witch trial, which took place in Islandmagee on the East Antrim coast in 1711, and examine the accusations, fears an

Wednesday 21 October 2026 Plans for a new petrol filling station and retail outlet on Ballycraigy Road in Antrim have been unanimously approved by councillors, with a condition requiring a zebra crossing following concerns over pedestrian safety. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee granted reserved matters approval at its meeting in Mossley Mill on Monday evening (19 October). The development, proposed by Solo Direct Ltd, will include a petrol filling

Seven Towers Pipe Band pictured outside the Congregational Church in Clonavon Terrace in 1927 following its formation in 1926. Tuesday 20 October 2026 One hundred years after its beginnings in Harryville, Seven Towers Pipe Band is inviting former members, familiar faces and new audiences to share a special evening of music in Ballymena. The band’s Centenary Concert will bring McNeillstown Pipe Band and Pure Blarney & Friends to The Braid Arts Theatre on Thursday 19 November,