NEWS

Caroline McKeown with the sale topper, Ashvale Ironman I1504, who sold for 1,200gns. A Templepatrick sheep breeder has claimed the overall championship and the highest price of the day at the Northern Ireland Dorset Sheep Breeders Club’s fifth annual Swatragh Show and Sale. Caroline McKeown’s Ashvale flock enjoyed a standout showing at the event, with her ewe lamb taking the overall championship before selling for 700 guineas, while another Ashvale entry topped the entire sal

Detectives are appealing for witnesses and footage after a house in Templepatrick was broken into, damaged and ransacked on Monday afternoon. Police received a report at around 4.50pm on Monday 24 August following the burglary in the Old Coach Road area. Entry forced into house Detectives believe entry was forced into the property shortly after 4pm, causing damage to a door and windows. A number of rooms and cupboards inside the house had also been ransacked. Detective Sergea

Dog owners across Antrim and Newtownabbey are being urged to check the rules before exercising their pets in council-managed parks and open spaces, as new colour-coded signage is installed across the borough. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is carrying out the work in phases, with priority locations being targeted first. The signs are designed to make it clearer where dogs can be exercised freely, where they must be kept on a lead and where they are prohibited — with

NI Dorset National Show judge Sam Driver, alongside Champion breeder Ellen McClure and Claire McConaghie from sponsor Connolly’s Red Mills. A standout ewe lamb from a Dundrod flock claimed the top honour at the Northern Ireland Dorset Horn and Polled Dorset Sheep Breeders’ Club National Show, capping a successful summer for one of the province’s leading breeders. Held during Limavady Show on Saturday, 18 July, the National Show saw Ellen McClure’s Mountdale flock crowned Cham

New Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Sinn Féin Councillor Henry Cushinan A political milestone has been marked in Antrim and Newtownabbey after Councillor Henry Cushinan was officially appointed as the borough’s first Sinn Féin Mayor. The historic appointment was confirmed during the council’s Annual Meeting on Monday evening, June 1, marking the first time Sinn Féin has held the mayoral chain in the borough since local government reorganisation created Antrim and Newtownabb

Children across the borough will once again be able to take part in a packed summer of sports, games, creative activities and outdoor adventures as Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council officially launches its 2026 Summer Schemes programme. Running throughout July and August, the annual schemes are set to return to leisure centres, community venues and the grounds of Antrim Castle Gardens, with families already being encouraged to plan ahead amid expectations of high demand

Residents across the Borough can pick up a free bag of peat-free compost this week as Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council launches a recycling reward initiative to mark International Compost Awareness Week 2026. From Monday 4 May until Saturday 9 May, households visiting any of the Council’s five Household Recycling Centres will be eligible to receive one complimentary bag of compost while stocks last. The offer is available to residents bringing recyclable items includin

Claudia Jaczyk, 23, sadly died in a road traffic collision in County Antrim Claudia Jaczyk, 23, from the Newtownabbey area, has been named as the woman who died following a collision involving a bus and a car on the Ballyrobin Road in Templepatrick on Saturday, February 14. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed the young woman’s identity as enquiries continue into the fatal crash, which occurred on the busy route near Belfast International Airport. The collision in

A woman has died following a road traffic collision involving a bus and a car on the Ballyrobin Road in Templepatrick on Saturday, February 14, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed. The fatal crash occurred at approximately 8:00am and involved a bus and a black Citroen C1. Emergency services attended the scene, but sadly the driver of the car was pronounced dead. Detective Inspector Stewart from the Collision Investigation Unit said: “Police received a report

Ballyrobin Road in Templepatrick has been closed for several hours following a serious collision between a bus and a car on Saturday morning, February 14. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers and emergency services are currently at the scene, with diversions in place and motorists — particularly those travelling to Belfast International Airport — advised to allow additional time for their journeys. The PSNI first advised of the incident shortly after 8:30am, con

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

(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

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

Police have charged a 41-year-old man following his arrest after a vehicle pursuit linked to the Antrim area which ended on the M2 on Monday evening, 29 December. Sergeant Wallace explained how the situation escalated rapidly across several locations, posing serious risks to other road users. “At around 9.15pm, officers were attending a report in the Antrim area when they observed a white Audi A4 acting suspiciously,” he said. “A short time later, the same vehicle was repor

A man has been arrested and a significant quantity of suspected Class A drugs seized following a dramatic police pursuit that began in the Antrim area and ended near Templepatrick on Monday evening, 29 December. Police say the incident unfolded shortly after 9pm when officers attending an unrelated report in Antrim observed a white Audi A4 behaving suspiciously. Sergeant Wallace explained how the situation escalated rapidly across several locations, posing serious risks to o

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

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

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