NEWS

Wednesday 4 November 2026 Around half of all babies born in Northern Ireland in 2026 are being invited to take part in a landmark research study that will follow children into adulthood, helping shape the services and support available to future generations of families. Researchers at Ulster University have begun interviewing parents as part of Generation New Era, the first new UK birth cohort study in 25 years and the largest of its kind in a generation. Around 4,200 familie

Sunday 01 November 2026 Fewer than half of Northern Ireland pupils who had experienced mental health worries sought help, a major survey of 11–16-year-olds has found. The findings show improvement since 2022, with fewer pupils reporting definite concerns or signs of loneliness. However, almost one-third were classified as having low mental wellbeing, with girls reporting greater difficulties than boys. The Department of Health’s Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2

(L-R): Breast cancer patient Joanna Bingham pictured with two other breast cancer speakers, Kasia Garble (50) from Belfast and Ann McBrien (63) also from Belfast, alongside Dr Damien Bennett, Director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) at Queen's University Belfast. Saturday 10 October 2026 Women living in Northern Ireland's lowest-value homes are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, with major research also revealing a stark divide i

Mum Emma with 10-year-old son Tommy Monday 05 October 2026 A Ballycastle mum has described how her family relies completely on relatives for childcare for her ten-year-old son with additional needs, as a new report highlights the barriers facing families raising disabled children. Emma Linton and her husband both work in hospitality, often finishing late in the evening, but she says they have been unable to find formal childcare capable of providing the specialist support the

Thursday 24 September 2026 More people are now dying than being born in Mid and East Antrim, marking a striking reversal from little more than a decade ago as the borough’s population becomes older and overall growth stalls. New population estimates published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) today reveal a wider demographic change unfolding across Northern Ireland — but the picture across the greater County Antrim area is particularly revealing.

Broadcaster and musician Malachi Cush returns with a new series of Healing Sounds on BBC Radio Ulster Wednesday 16 September 2026 A powerful new series of ‘Healing Sounds’, presented by broadcaster and musician Malachi Cush, begins on BBC Radio Ulster tomorrow night with an hour-long programme marking 25 years since the 9/11 attacks. The 12-part series will bring together deeply personal stories of grief, trauma, illness, loss and resilience, with guests choosing four songs t

David pictured with his Dad, who he is his named after. David Clarke was just 21 when he began to understand that the father who had spent his life looking after him was slowly going to need his son to do the same for him. Almost 14 years later, dementia has taken conversations, memories and many of the ordinary moments they once shared — but it has never taken the bond between them. “Memories may fade but love remains,” David says. Now, after years in which the experience fe

The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev George Davison, Rev Emma Gibson with husband Paul, and their young daughter. (Images: McAuley Multimedia) A new chapter has begun for two North Coast parishes following the institution of the Rev Emma Gibson as rector of the Grouped Parishes of Ramoan and Culfeightrin. Holy Trinity Parish Church in Ballycastle was packed on Friday evening, 4 September, as parishioners, family, friends and clergy gathered to welcome their new incumbent. For Rev

Pauline O’Neill with her mum, Emer McBride and family A Ballymena woman has spoken movingly about the peace her mother found during her final days at Antrim Area Hospital, as patients and families are invited to use their own experiences — good or bad — to help improve palliative and end of life care. Pauline O’Neill said her mother became “very settled, very calm” after entering the Macmillan Unit, describing the care provided by staff as something that “meant everything” to

People living with chronic pain in Northern Ireland’s most deprived communities are experiencing substantially greater levels of depression, disability and disruption to everyday life, according to new research. The study of 491 patients found the burden associated with chronic pain became progressively worse as deprivation increased, with researchers warning that people in the most deprived areas can face up to three times the level of pain-related problems affecting mental

Ballymena newsagent Eugene Diamond on Sunday as he serves his last day from his shop on Broughshane. Eugene retires after 47 years at the heart of local community. Sunday 30 August 2026 Every morning, for 47 years, while much of Ballymena was still sleeping, Eugene Diamond was already beginning his day. At 5am, the lights would go on inside his small shop on Broughshane Street. Before long came the factory workers heading for early shifts, followed by familiar faces Eugene ca

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Dawn Huggins, pictured with Paul Ross, whose Sky Blue Ribbon fundraising appeal was named Fundraising Volunteer Group of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland Awards. A County Antrim father who has turned the devastating loss of his 21-year-old daughter into a fundraising movement that has raised more than £100,000 for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland has received special recognition from the Mayor of

Local woman Rebecca ‘Rebs’ Lightbody Lucy led the length of Ireland to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI Co Antrim woman Rebecca ‘Rebs’ Lightbody had barely ridden a road bike when she decided to cycle more than 570 kilometres across Ireland alone. She wasn’t chasing a personal record or trying to prove she could do it. She was doing it for two of her best friends. Both women, friends since school, had been diagnosed with lymphoma within the space of just three years —

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

Victoria Craig pictured with her daughter Catherine A neonatal nurse whose daughter was born almost 12 weeks early has transformed her experience as a parent into a career supporting babies and families — and research that could help others cope with the trauma of neonatal care. Victoria Craig, Neonatal Clinical Educator at Antrim Area Hospital, graduated from Queen’s University earlier this year with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Her research examined practical techniques th

Ballymena Pet Vets on Henry Street, Ballymena For most pet owners, there are few decisions more important than choosing the right vet. Whether it’s an excited puppy’s first vaccination, an ageing dog beginning to slow down, a rabbit refusing to eat or the heartbreaking moment a beloved companion becomes seriously ill, every visit comes with one thing in common: trust. It’s that trust that Ballymena Pet Vets has worked to earn since opening its independent practice on Henry St

A new true-crime podcast has revisited the disturbing story of former pirate radio DJ Eamon Cooke, shedding fresh light on how one of Ireland’s most prolific child sexual abusers was able to evade justice for decades while operating in full public view. Released by the team behind several acclaimed investigative productions, Pirate Predator examines the life and crimes of Cooke, the founder of the once hugely popular Radio Dublin pirate station, and explores new evidence and

County Antrim man, John Marshall, as he graduates this week from Ulster University with a degree in Sports Coaching and Performance A Ballycarry father who battled stage four cancer, endured the heartbreaking loss of his young son and faced years of personal challenges is celebrating a remarkable achievement after graduating from Ulster University this summer. John Marshall, who works as a Community Engagement Officer with the Irish Football Association Foundation, crossed t

Victoria Craig from Broughshane, graduated on Monday, receiving her PhD in Nursing at Queen's When Catherine Craig was born 12 weeks early at Antrim Area Hospital in 2006, her mother Victoria had no idea that the frightening weeks which followed would shape the rest of her life. The tiny baby arrived at just 28 weeks and one day gestation following an emergency caesarean section and would spend the next 10 weeks in the hospital’s Neonatal Unit fighting through the earliest da

Melissa Thompson graduates from Queen's with a BSW in Social Work A promise made to her late father, a childhood shaped by care and adoption, and the determination to build a better future for her young son have all come together for one Northern Ireland graduate as she celebrates achieving a lifelong ambition. Today, Saturday 27 June, Melissa Thompson graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work from Queen’s University Belfast, fulfilling a dream she says began when she was just