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Former Maghaberry senior officer & victims advocate Ian Irwin has been selected as the Ulster Unionist Party’s Mid Ulster Assembly candidate. Pledging to reach voters who have become disillusioned with politics, Mr Irwin believes unionism has an opportunity to secure two seats in the constituency.

𝗧𝗩| Three years after the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, ITV is revisiting the actor’s life & the circumstances surrounding his death. Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy features interviews with his Friends co-star Morgan Fairchild, Hollywood insiders & figures connected to the investigation.

Autumn afternoon light on Fairhead, County Antrim. 📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social

A special day of giving back! ♥️🐾 Willie Gregg has presented donations from Wee Joan’s Dog Walk to three wonderful charities supporting children, families and mental health.

More neighbourhood police officers are now in place across Causeway Coast and Glens, with the PSNI aiming to increase its local presence and strengthen links with communities. A recent event in Coleraine brought community representatives face to face with the officers policing their areas.

Wave watching on Tuesday morning in Ballycastle, County Antrim. 📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social

“We are absolutely heartbroken.” Two beloved Trumpeter swans and more than ten ducks have died after oil entered Broughshane Waterfowl Park following reported vandalism. Volunteers are devastated, with other birds still receiving urgent care and the park remaining closed as the clean-up continues.

A major step forward for the £100m Cookstown Bypass! Plans for a new 4km route to ease town centre congestion have secured a key approval, with £43m in funding already committed.

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 | Ballymena’s business stars were out in force! Record entries, 436 guests, special honours and a £16,000 hospice donation made this year’s Business Excellence Awards a night to remember. All the winners, finalists, glitz and glam below!

𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡 | Four masked men armed with a handgun and iron bars entered a Ballymoney home overnight, beating a man before shooting him in the leg. Three other people were left badly shaken, while the attackers’ getaway car was later found burnt out.

CUP FINAL NIGHT! ⚽️ Glentoran Women and Cliftonville Ladies go head-to-head at Windsor Park tonight, with the Women’s Challenge Cup on the line! Can Cliftonville retain their crown, or will the Glens claim another cup triumph?

Sunrise and moonset on Tuesday morning in North Antrim! 📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social

“It’s 7.45am on a brighter, but damp looking Tuesday morning here in Ballymena… 8°C.” 📸 Eugene Diamond • Diamonds News • @diamondsnews.bsky.social

🚧 ROADWORKS UPDATE | MEA Millions have been spent improving local roads, with a further £3.8m resurfacing programme planned for 2026/27. From Ballymena to Larne and Carrickfergus, see which roads are earmarked for improvements, alongside completed works and proposed street lighting upgrades.

🎬 Before Liam Neeson, there was Bob McKenzie! A boy from Harryville went on to appear in more than 300 Hollywood films – and his wife and three daughters became movie stars too. Now their remarkable story has been honoured with a new plaque in Ballymena, with Neeson himself marking the occasion.

𝟑𝟎 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗘! From 84 pupils to over 1,000, Slemish College is celebrating three decades of integrated education in Ballymena. Record exam results, sporting success, inspiring achievements and over £18,000 raised for charity marked a special anniversary prizegiving.

𝗡𝗜 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 | A man in his 80s has died in hospital more than three weeks after a collision involving two cars on the A1. Three people were taken to hospital following the crash near Newry on 1 October.

𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 2:30pm Cushendall Road, Ballymena has been blocked due to a fallen tree. 🎥 Garron Donnelly

Northern Ireland’s senior women’s football squad made Galgorm Resort their home ahead of their World Cup play-off against Portugal. The players and coaching staff enjoyed a stay at the Co Antrim resort, with the Irish FA praising the setting provided for their preparations.

Big changes could be coming to Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena, Larne Leisure Centre and the Amphitheatre in Carrickfergus. Councillors have backed plans for 6am–10pm weekday opening, with standardised weekend hours across all three centres.

Ballymena's Habitat ReStore has scooped two major Northern Ireland awards, recognising its work helping households save money, reducing waste and creating opportunities through training and volunteering.

Almost £50,000 in cash, 35kg of rolling tobacco and 2,400 cigarettes have been seized during searches in Cushendall. The seizures form part of a major PSNI-led crackdown on organised crime, with more than £200,000 recovered across Northern Ireland.

Flying with easyJet? Staying connected in the sky is about to get easier! The airline is teaming up with SpaceX’s Starlink to bring high-speed Wi-Fi onboard for the first time, allowing passengers to stream, browse and message during flights.

A city centre-wide 20mph limit, new Glider routes, expanded P&R facilities & changes to parking are among proposals now open for public consultation. MEA Council helped develop the wider transport plan, with future proposals expected to shape transport priorities & connections across the borough.

𝗥𝗧𝗖 (09:16) POLICE: The Frosses Road at Ballymoney is currently closed at the Kilraughts Road roundabout due to a road traffic collision. Drivers are advised to take another route for your journey.

🌬️⚠️ MORE STRONG WINDS ON THE WAY The Met Office has issued TWO yellow wind warnings affecting Northern Ireland, with gusts of up to 65mph forecast and possible travel disruption. County Antrim is covered by both warnings.

From local start-up in 2019 to a £90.1m global fragrance business! The Jaq Group, behind popular fragrance brands The Essence Vault, Thomson Carter and Liquid London, is celebrating TWO wins at the Ballymena Business Awards, recognising its remarkable growth & commitment to its 230-plus employees.

A stranded and battered Pans Rock Bridge today in Ballycastle during Storm Boelo. 📸 Kenny Gibson

Waves crashing in on the Antrim coast on Sunday. 📍 Ballycastle, County Antrim 📸 Anne Kelly Art and Photography • @annlizkelly.bsky.social

The calm after the storm… Sunday night under the Hunter’s Moon in Waterfoot, County Antrim. 📸 Mary Preston

Could scrapping a flight tax bring more routes and jobs to Northern Ireland? ✈️ South Antrim MP Robin Swann is urging the Chancellor to act, warning that local airports are losing out to Dublin.

“I had a good job and plenty of responsibility, but I was lonely and missing my boys growing up.” A Northern Ireland men’s group has launched a FREE mental health app, offering practical wellbeing tools and access to support before difficulties reach crisis point.

Almost nine in ten farmers surveyed say inheritance tax changes have increased stress within their families. The UFU warns that fears over passing farms to the next generation are taking a deeply personal toll.