NEWS

Ballycastle on the Antrim coast. (All photos by local photographer Anne Kelly) Ballycastle has been named the best place to live in Northern Ireland, with judges praising its powerful sense of community, thriving food scene and stunning coastal setting. The north Antrim town took the top regional spot in the 2026 edition of The Sunday Times Best Places to Live , standing out for what judges described as its “big, beating heart” — a place where community life is visible every

Ballycastle photographer Kevin McAuley A well-known Ballycastle photographer has spoken out in praise of local health services after a sudden and frightening medical episode led to his admission to Causeway Hospital earlier this week. Kevin McAuley , a familiar figure in Northern Ireland’s photography and media scene, was rushed to hospital after suffering a severe allergic reaction during a routine CT scan—an incident that quickly sparked concern across the community. Rumour

Optical advisor Carol-Ann Kirkpatrick with 23-year-old daughter Rachel. Mother’s Day will be extra special at Asda Antrim this year, where four mums will celebrate the occasion alongside their own children who work as colleagues in the store. From quick chats between shifts to shared laughter on the shop floor, the families say working together brings a unique bond – even if it sometimes means seeing a little too much of each other. Among them is optical advisor Carol-Ann Kir

Rebecca Mackey, Level 3 Agriculture Apprentice pictured on her home farm in Ballynure. For Co Antrim farmer Rebecca Mackey , agriculture has always been more than a career choice—it has been a way of life. Now an Apprentice on the Level 3 Agriculture programme at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Rebecca is combining hands-on farm work with structured academic learning to build a future in the industry she has grown up in. Raised on her family’s d

Christmas cheer is officially on the horizon, and according to Tesco’s latest festive survey, households in Northern Ireland are once again proving that they like to do things a wee bit differently. The supermarket giant surveyed people across the UK to uncover Christmassy habits, traditions and food preferences. While 92.73% of people in Northern Ireland plan to celebrate Christmas this year, the findings suggest that the Province takes its own approach to festivities — part

Prison staff at Hydebank Wood College have teamed up with Start 360 and Ardoyne Youth Club in a new pilot project supporting prisoners leaving prison by providing each one with a ‘You Matter’ pack of toiletries including toothpaste, shower gel and antiperspirant as well as water and cuppa soup. Pictured are Grainne Griffith, Start 360, Seaneen Farrelly, Hydebank Wood Prisoner Development Unit Governor, and Stephen Konrad, Ardoyne YC Youth Worker. Prisoners leaving Hydebank Wo

L-R: Jan McCrudden, her son Portrush RNLI lifeboat volunteer Roo McCrudden and Roo’s granny Pat Torbitt As the RNLI launches its annual Christmas fundraising appeal, volunteers across the UK and Ireland are preparing to spend the festive season on call — including Portrush RNLI crewmember Richard “Roo” McCrudden , for whom lifesaving is very much a family tradition. Roo will remain on standby throughout the Christmas period, while his mother Jan and 92-year-old grandmother

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ulster...

Keeping busy… Noel McLaughlin, a participant in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Day Opportunities programme. Noel McLaughlin...

Coleraine’s Causeway Speciality Market has said a tearful goodbye to one its longest standing stallholders, Lilian Kennedy of Curry Sauce...

Fiona Kee with Wendy Woo In the picturesque downland of The Eagry near Bushmills, a heartwarming initiative is touching lives across...

ON AVERAGE, we pass up on an opportunity we later regret an average of eight times a week – or more than 400 times a year – from failing...