NEWS

Castlewood Holiday Park, in Antrim, unveils new luxury accommodation and enhanced visitor facilities Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has welcomed the completion of the 5-star Blair’s Castlewood Holiday Park development at Shane’s Castle, marking a significant investment in local tourism on the shores of Lough Neagh. The expanded Castlewood Holiday Park introduces new luxury accommodation and enhanced visitor facilities, strengthening the borough’s position as a short-

Buyers and suppliers (L-R) – The judges: Jonathan Mitchell (Our Brewery’s co-founder), Esther Paul, (Business Development Manager at Armagh Cider Company), Chelsea McCullagh (Marketing Manager at Heaney Brewery), Michael Crealey ( Lead Packaged Buying Manager at Tesco NI), Karen O’Neill (Sales Manager at Anzac Drinks/ Farmageddon Brewing Co), Bernard Sloan (Managing Director at Whitewater Brewery) and Peter McKeever (Production Manager at Longmeadow Cider). A Randalstown-base

A talented local student is celebrating national recognition after her artwork claimed top honours at one of Ireland’s most prestigious youth art competitions. Ballymena Causeway Credit Union has marked a proud moment for the local community after Eimear McGuckien was crowned first place winner in the 11–13 Additional Needs category at the Credit Union Art Competition National Final, held at Croke Park in Dublin on Sunday. Eimear’s artwork progressed through the local and reg

A special meeting of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council was held at Mossley Mill on Tuesday 20 January as elected members intensified pressure on Bryson Recycling over ongoing waste and recycling collection problems affecting residents across the borough. The meeting was convened at the request of councillors to allow members to formally raise residents’ concerns in advance of a scheduled Full Council Meeting on Monday 26 January , which will be attended by the Chief Exe

A 36-year-old man has been arrested in the Antrim area on suspicion of a number of drug-related offences following police searches in Randalstown and along the Ballymena Road. The arrest followed the search of a vehicle on the Ballymena Road shortly before 2.00pm on Tuesday, 20 January. During the search, officers seized a quantity of suspected Class B controlled drugs along with a sum of cash. Police then carried out a further search at a residential property in The Parade a

(L-R) Tina McMullan, Business and Improvement Advisor ETTNI, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick and Jessica Smyth, Business Development Project Officer LMP Fully funded programme offers local electrical professionals qualifications in solar PV, battery storage, and EV charging installation Fifteen qualified electricians from the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough are set to benefit from a groundbreaking new training initiative designed to prepare the l

Hannah Currie Northern Regional College (NRC) is celebrating the inspiring achievements of engineering graduate Hannah Currie, whose determination, talent and generosity of spirit are helping to reshape perceptions of STEM careers across Northern Ireland. Originally from Randalstown, Hannah recently graduated at the College’s Higher Education & Access Graduation, marking the culmination of a remarkable journey that has taken her from returning adult learner to WorldSkills UK

A recovery plan has been agreed between Bryson Recycling and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in a bid to address missed bin collections across the borough. Bryson Recycling reported a “positive meeting” with the council’s chief executive, Richard Baker, earlier this week to discuss ongoing problems with the collection service. A spokesperson for Bryson Recycling said: “We discussed the issues being raised and also the actions required to get our service back to a st

A meeting is due to take place this week between Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s chief executive, Richard Baker, and his counterpart at Bryson Recycling over missed bin collections across the borough. Councillors were told at a meeting of the council’s Operations Committee, held at Antrim Civic Centre on Monday evening, that service issues will be discussed on Wednesday, ahead of a further meeting with members in the council chamber later this month. Airport Sinn Fé

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick is joined by Chris Ward (Workforce Training Services) and Jessica Smyth (LMP) to launch the SIA Academy A new bespoke Employment Academy has been launched in Antrim and Newtownabbey to address skills shortages in the security industry and help local residents take their first steps into sustainable employment. The week-long intensive programme, delivered by the Antrim and Newtownabbey Labour Market Partnership (LMP

Pictured outside the newly expanded JAQ Group facilities in Randalstown is Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick, and Managing Director, Connor Martin. An innovative Northern Ireland e-commerce fragrance company is creating dozens of new jobs after significantly expanding its manufacturing and logistics operations in Randalstown, County Antrim. The JAQ Group has invested in a major extension of its facilities at the Craigstown Industrial Estate to meet

Mayor of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick with representatives from Antrim & Newtownabbey Council Labour Market Partnership. A new employment-focused Medical Administration Training Academy is set to launch in Antrim and Newtownabbey in January 2026, offering local residents a direct pathway into administrative roles within GP practices. Following the success of two earlier academies delivered in other council areas, the Northern GP Federatio

The JAQ Group team, from left to right, including Lucie Boal, Calvin Martin, with Claire McGimpsey from Cash for Kids, Connor Martin, Genevieve Martin, Jackie Kilpatrick, Mollie Walker and Alex Macalintal.    A County Antrim-based fragrance company has donated £55,000 in funding and products to support Cash for Kids’ Mission Christmas campaign, helping ensure vulnerable children across Northern Ireland receive gifts this festive season. The JAQ Group, headquartered in Randals

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has entered into a debate over which household recycling system works best, after the issue was raised at a meeting of a neighbouring council. Speaking in the council chamber at Mossley Mill on Monday evening, Antrim DUP councillor Paul Dunlop highlighted the differing approaches taken by local authorities. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has recently completed the roll-out of a triple-stacked wheelie box system to 25,000 house

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough councillors are demanding a meeting with contractor Bryson Recycling following complaints from residents about missed bin collections. Members were given an update on the roll-out of the council’s triple-stack wheelie box bins in the Antrim area at a meeting of the local authority at Mossley Mill on Monday evening. A council director said the roll-out had been completed “within schedule and on budget” to more than 25,000 households, with “mini

Asda Antrim Community Champion helped secure an Asda Foundation grant for Randalstown Ulster Scots Cultural Society Asda has relaunched its ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative across Northern Ireland in a bid to support older people facing loneliness and isolation during the festive season. The move comes as part of the retailer’s latest Christmas Community Tracker, which surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK. The research revealed that for many over-60s, the “lack of human in

A photo shared on social media by a resident Missed bin collections in Antrim and Newtownabbey will be discussed behind closed doors at a full meeting of the borough council after “service issues” were blamed on continuing crew absenteeism. The issue was highlighted at a meeting of the council’s Operations Committee at Antrim Civic Centre on Monday evening. Lynsey Daly, head of waste strategy and sustainability , insisted that missed collections were due to absenteeism amon

The interim chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has defended the authority’s decision to move to blue mixed-recycling bins in Ballymena and Carrickfergus from 2026/27, despite neighbouring Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council phasing out the very same system. Speaking during Monday night’s full council meeting at The Braid in Ballymena, Valerie Watts responded to a public question which asked: “Who is right – Antrim council getting rid of blue bins or B

Randalstown ARCHES Association has unveiled the Randalstown Community Calendar 2026, marking the organisation’s 30th anniversary with a project designed to celebrate local heritage while raising vital funds for two well-loved charities. The calendar, priced at £10, was officially launched during this year’s Christmas Lights Switch-On and will be available to purchase from ten outlets across Randalstown from Monday. Created to honour the town’s “community spirit, heritage, an

Residents across Antrim and Newtownabbey are being invited to celebrate the start of the festive season at one of seven magical Christmas Light Switch On events taking place throughout the Borough from 20–29 November 2025. Each event promises festive entertainment, family fun, and a dazzling light display, creating an unforgettable experience for residents and visitors alike. The celebrations will kick off in Crumlin on Thursday 20 November at the Crumlin Leisure Centre from