NEWS

Iris Houston, General Manager of Adair Arms Hotel (left) and McKeever Hotels Board. The Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena is set to play a key role in an ambitious new five-year growth strategy launched by McKeever Hotels, as the family-owned hospitality group sets its sights on further expansion across Ireland and beyond. The plan, titled ‘Beyond Now’, was unveiled by Managing Director Eddie McKeever at a stakeholder event, outlining the company’s vision for growth, performance

A young girl is in hospital in a critical condition following a road traffic collision involving a lorry and a child pedestrian in the Boleran Road area of Limavady. The incident occurred shortly before 4 pm today. Emergency services, including officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), attended the scene together. It is also understood Northern Ireland Air Ambulan

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, officially launches the Borough's Christmas celebrations, marking the start of the festive season. A Season of Christmas Magic Coming to Mid and East Antrim Mid and East Antrim Borough is set to sparkle this festive season, with a packed programme of Christmas lights switch-ons, parades, markets, and family entertainment bringing festive cheer to towns and villages across the borough. The celebrations begin this Saturd

The scene outside the former Northern Regional College campus at Trostan Avenue, Ballymena on Sunday evening. Firefighters from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) responded to a blaze at the former premises of the Northern Regional College on Trostan Avenue, Ballymena. The incident occurred on Sunday evening (November 9) and is being treated as deliberate. At 6:08pm, NIFRS received a call reporting a fire at the derelict building on Trostan Avenue. Two applia

Patients at Antrim Area Hospital are now benefiting from faster, more accurate diagnoses thanks to a state-of-the-art multifunctional gamma camera, one of only two in Northern Ireland. Installed last year, the scanner combines CT and nuclear imaging in a single device, enabling healthcare professionals to detect diseases at an earlier stage, tailor treatments to individual patients, and reduce the need for multiple scans. Marie Harvey, Lead Radiographer for Nuclear Medicine ,

(L-R) Robin Winsby, Translink Project Manager, John Thompson, Translink Head of Safety and Corporate Responsibility,  Michael Allen, Community Resuscitation Team Manager, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Fearghal McKinney, Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland.   Translink has announced a major life-saving initiative that will see Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) installed across its entire NI Railways train fleet by the end of December 2025. The mov

An offensive racial slur daubed on the railway bridge on the Toome Road, Ballymena. Editor’s note: This article contains images of racist graffiti which has been blurred to obscure offensive language. It is included solely to illustrate the location and nature of the incident reported. Alliance MLA for North Antrim, Sian Mulholland, has issued a strong condemnation after racist and hateful graffiti, including a swastika and racial slurs, was discovered on a bridge over Toome

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain across Northern Ireland on Tuesday 11 November 2025, with forecasters warning of travel disruption and localised flooding throughout the day. The warning is in place from 06:00 to 21:00 (UTC) and covers the entire region, as a band of persistent and at times heavy rain is expected to move in early Tuesday morning. According to the Met Office , “a spell of persistent rain is expected to arrive across Northern Ireland

North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows and Constituency Manager Colin Crawford with members of Ballymena Squash Club North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has given his backing to Ballymena Squash Club’s campaign to “Free Court 3” and secure the long-term future of squash in the town. Mr Burrows met with members of the recently formed club, which has grown rapidly since its launch in January 2024, now boasting a membership of 40 enthusiastic players. “I was delighted to meet with members of Ba

Photos: Jason Bain / RNLI Larne Larne RNLI launched its all-weather lifeboat on Saturday afternoon (9 November) to assist four divers stranded after their rib suffered engine failure off the County Antrim coast. The volunteer crew launched the Dr John McSparran lifeboat at 1.47pm at the request of HM Coastguard, after one of the divers onboard the rib raised the alarm. Coxswain Barry Kirkpatrick, Mechanic Scott Leitch, and crew members Jordan McIlhinney, Catherine Lee, Ross

Antrim residents flocked to The Junction on Wednesday 29th October to celebrate the official opening of Murdock Home Centre & Builders Merchants, a major new addition to the town and a landmark moment for the Murdock Group. The much-anticipated launch drew large crowds for a day of family fun, live entertainment and community celebration, marking a significant milestone for both Murdock and The Junction retail complex. Visitors were treated to giveaways, goodie bags and live

A touching tribute to those who served their country is on display at St Colmanell’s Parish Church, Ahoghill, where a Remembrance Exhibition is running until Tuesday 11 November 2025. The exhibition has been lovingly created by the church family, featuring hundreds of poppies, wall hangings, floral arrangements, wartime artefacts, secret trench diaries, and stories of local people and unsung heroes. Visitors can explore a deeply personal collection of displays that not only c

County Antrim boxer Zoe McCaughran – crowned the new IIBU Lightweight Champion Carrickfergus boxer Zoe McCaughran has been crowned the new IIBU Lightweight Champion after a superb performance at Belfast’s iconic Ulster Hall on Saturday night (8 November), capping off a triumphant evening for the Evolution Boxing Club team. Facing a strong and experienced opponent in Aoife Connor, McCaughran displayed her trademark composure, determination and technical skill from the opening

Gray’s Boutique Hotel & Brasserie in Bushmills Gray’s Boutique Hotel & Brasserie in Bushmills has announced the appointment of Andrew Orr as its new Hotel General Manager, marking an exciting new chapter for the elegant Causeway Coast destination. With more than three decades of experience in hospitality management, operations, and team leadership, Andrew joins Gray’s with a strong track record of success across the hotel and restaurant sectors. In his new role, he will over

Denis Hession (82), winner of the 16 and Over Category, Translink’s Grand Pianist A Carrickfergus man has been named one of Northern Ireland’s top amateur pianists after taking the top prize in the adult category of Translink’s prestigious Grand Pianist 2025 competition. 82-year-old Denis Hession , a retired engineer originally from Roscommon, claimed the adult title following an emotional performance of Carrickfergus on a baby grand piano at Belfast’s Grand Central Station.

North Antrim MLA Sian Mulholland has praised Ballycastle bathing waters as they have once again achieved the highest possible rating for water quality.  Environment Minister Andrew Muir has announced the 2025 bathing water classification results, revealing that Ballycastle Beach has once again achieved the highest possible rating for water quality. The annual assessment, published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), confirms that Ballycast

The Causeway Hospital, Coleraine The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has responded to concerns about the proposed closure of an 18-bed acute admission ward at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. A statement was issued following issues raised by campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital during a recent meeting with Trust representatives regarding the future of the Ross Thomson Unit. Representatives from SOS Causeway Hospital met with Dr Petra Corr, Director of Mental Health and

Ballymena Showgrounds Mid and East Antrim Borough Council planners are considering a planning application for a new 3G football pitch and spectator stand at Ballymena Showgrounds. The application has been submitted by an agent on behalf of the council for proposed works at the home of Ballymena United Football Club. The proposal includes the installation of a full-size 3G pitch to replace the existing grass pitch, along with a new 200-seat spectator stand and floodlighting. A

Bin delays affecting four Northern Ireland council areas have been caused by “unprecedented illness” levels, according to Bryson Recycling — the company responsible for kerbside collections. Around 160,000 households are potentially affected by ongoing recycling collection issues across Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Belfast City Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council areas. The issue was raised at a Lisburn and Castl

24-year-old Jamie Mitchell The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed the identity of the man who died following a road traffic collision in Coleraine during the early hours of this morning, Saturday 8th November. He was 24-year-old Jamie Mitchell from the Portrush area. The fatal collision occurred shortly after 1.20am on the Dunhill Road, involving a car and a pedestrian. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Mr Mitchell sadly died at the scene. Chief Inspect