NEWS

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

Inset: Ulster Unionist Party education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows The appointment of a new independent behaviour adviser for Northern Ireland schools must lead to meaningful change in classrooms rather than simply creating another title, Ulster Unionist education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows has said. Responding to Education Minister Paul Givan’s announcement this week of a review of school behaviour policy and the appointment of behaviour expert T

Stock image Becoming a first-time mum can be overwhelming, isolating and frightening. For one Ballymena mother, support from a local SureStart programme proved so transformative that she now describes it as being “integral to my survival” during some of the most challenging years of her life. “The past four years have been the best of my life,” says Ballymena mum Paige*. It is a statement she does not make lightly. During that time, she has also faced significant personal cha

GP practices across Mid and East Antrim are now caring for thousands more patients than they were a decade ago after the borough lost one in four surgeries, new official figures reveal. New General Medical Services statistics published by the Business Services Organisation and NISRA show the number of GP practices in Mid and East Antrim has fallen from 28 in 2014 to 21 in 2026 — a reduction of 25 per cent. Yet during the same period, the number of registered patients increase

Maeve Owens while studying at MSU took the opportunity to travel to Chicago A student from Magherafelt has described her four-month study experience in the United States as “the best thing I’ve ever done” after returning home from a life-changing exchange programme at one of America’s biggest universities. Maeve Owens, who studies BSc (Hons) Food Business Management at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), recently completed a semester abroad at Michi

Ethel Blair, centre, with Gail Caldwell, Asda Larne Community Champion, McGee's butcher Conor O'Cleary, Serena Quigley, front right and Serena's dad Jim Steele, who also works on the McGee's counter at Asda Larne A Larne woman who has spent more than a century watching the world change around her has marked her 100th birthday with a royal letter from the King, a hand-delivered gift from the Lord-Lieutenant’s office — and flowers from the supermarket team who have become part

McGroggan’s shop on William Street, serving up its last scoops of ice cream after 103 years in Ballymena town centre McGroggan’s owner Patricia McGroggan has spoken of the heartbreak behind the closure of the iconic Ballymena ice cream shop, revealing how soaring costs, collapsing town centre footfall, Brexit disruption and changing shopping habits ultimately brought an end to the 103-year-old family business. The William Street shop — famous across generations for its vanill

Margaret Bell, former resident of Latharna House in Larne reflects on tower block life with Roy McClean, Housing Executive Assistant Area Manager, Mid and East Antrim. One of Larne’s most recognisable landmarks is about to disappear from the town’s skyline as demolition work begins on the towering Latharna House apartment block. For decades, the 16-storey Northern Ireland Housing Executive building stood prominently above Larne, visible to thousands of motorists travelling al

Margarette O’Donnell, a peer trainer with The Recovery College, has described how her own mental health journey inspired her to help others. For years, Margarette O’Donnell felt she was “losing the battle day by day” with her mental health — hiding her struggles behind a brave face while privately feeling hopeless about the future. Now, during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Northern Trust Recovery College peer trainer is sharing her deeply personal story in the hope it enc

Georgia Gamble is a Senior Community Nurse with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, based between the Country Medical Centre in Armoy and Bushmills Health Centre as part of the Moyle Rural District Nursing Team. A Northern Trust community nurse has spoken about the importance of compassionate care, meaningful relationships and patient advocacy ahead of International Nurses Day next week. Georgia Gamble, a Senior Community Nurse with the Northern Health and Social Care

Rob with his wife Danielle and 5 sons (Alfie, Rueben, Jacob, Carter and Cooper) A Portstewart father-of-five who once faced a life-threatening stage 4 cancer diagnosis is preparing to take on one of Northern Ireland’s toughest endurance events — as he raises vital funds for a charity that supported him through his journey. Rob Humphrey will take part in the Mourne Wall Challenge on 15 August 2026 in aid of Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, drawing on his own experience of diagno

Twenty-eight years after the Belfast Agreement reshaped Northern Ireland’s future, Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows MLA has said the next political mission must be to turn the peace secured in 1998 into lasting prosperity, governance reform and renewed public confidence in Stormont’s institutions. Marking the anniversary of the landmark accord on Friday, April 10, Burrows used the moment to reflect on both the transformation brought by the Agreement and what he described as

Kathryn McKay with husband Mark, and daughters Isla and Grace. What began as a lump discovered without warning has become a story of resilience, friendship and gratitude, as Ballymena mother-of-two Kathryn McKay prepares to turn one of the darkest chapters of her life into a night of hope for other families facing cancer. This Saturday evening, 11 April , Kathryn — alongside close friend Lauren Herbison — is inviting the local community to come together for A Night at the R

The number of babies born in Northern Ireland continued its long-running downward trend through 2025, while newly published provisional figures also point to rising three-year averages for suicide and drug-related deaths. The latest Registrar General Quarterly Report, published on Monday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), provides a detailed snapshot of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships recorded between 1 October and 31 December 202

Co Antrim woman Aisling Gallagher shares her personal story of bowel cancer A County Antrim woman has shared her deeply personal experience of bowel cancer in the hope it encourages others to seek help early and potentially save lives. As April marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has teamed up with social media influencer Aisling Gallagher from Crumlin to raise awareness of the symptoms people should never ignore and the importance o

Northern Ireland’s overall sense of wellbeing has remained steady over the past year — but beneath the surface, new figures reveal a stubborn undercurrent of anxiety and loneliness affecting thousands of people. Fresh data published recently by The Executive Office shows that while life satisfaction, happiness and feelings of purpose remain high, around one in five people continue to experience high levels of anxiety , and nearly 18% report feeling lonely at least some of the