a poignant event aimed at raising mental health awareness the walk will see participants receive a knitted lightbulb as a symbol of hope and solidarity but organisers urgently need more donations to meet demand The group has expressed heartfelt gratitude to those who have already contributed BEAM founder and local community worker Hannah Graham stating “A huge thank you for everyone who has been knitting the light bulbs—it means the world to us.” To ensure every walker leaves with a keepsake BEAM is appealing for additional knitted lightbulbs to be dropped off by Wednesday at the Building Communities Resource Centre “We’ve decided to give one to everyone at the end of the walk as a little reminder of the BEAM Dawn Walk,” the Hannah added BEAM encourages sharing the appeal to spread the word and ensure the initiative reaches as many people as possible The knitted lightbulbs are more than just a craft project—they represent the light of hope and community support for those facing mental health challenges starting at 4am from the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre is designed to foster connections and highlight available mental health resources in Ballymoney and beyond Participants will walk through the town as the sun rises with properties along the route encouraged to “leave a light on” in a show of solidarity Local community worker Hannah Graham established BEAM aiming to promote positive mental health messages across the region Hannah reflected on the initiative’s purpose “I have seen the impact of the mental health challenges facing people right across our community to make connections and to show their support We want to show that we are a community that cares.” Community Support at the CoreThe appeal for knitted lightbulbs has become a focal point of community engagement with knitters across Ballymoney stepping up to contribute is serving as the drop-off point for donations emphasised the inclusive nature of the event it is important that we are there to support each other and to show that they are there to support others who are struggling.” The Dawn Walk itself is free to join, with registration open at www.beamballymoney.org or through the Building Communities Resource Centre at the Acorn Business Centre a suggested donation is welcomed to help cover costs BEAM is urging knitters to contribute lightbulbs by the 14 May deadline to ensure every participant receives one Donations can be dropped off at the designated address in Ballymoney and those unable to knit are encouraged to share the appeal with friends “We are so grateful for all the support we’ve received so far,” Hannah reiterated highlighting the community’s enthusiasm for the cause the call for knitted lightbulbs underscores the power of collective action in supporting mental health awareness By contributing a lightbulb or spreading the word residents can play a vital role in ensuring the event shines brightly for all For more information or to register for the walk, visit 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had not escalated beyond 'unpleasantness' He told the court that Barker had recently been given a significant suspended sentence for unrelated matters and said that this had simply been a 'small misstep' Deputy District Judge John Rea said that this was Barker's first time in court on drug offences but said that he did have a 'very bad' record giving him a conditional discharge for two years " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Derry BT redundancy payments capped at one year Derry - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign The role offers an attractive package for the right candidate Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has announced that a £308,000 carriageway resurfacing and footway scheme on Charlotte Street Ballymoney will commence on Monday 6 January 2025 The resurfacing scheme will extend from The Diamond to just beyond the police station towards Balnamore “This is a substantial investment for the Ballymoney area which will deliver significant benefits for residents and road users  The investment demonstrates my commitment to improving our road and footpath network which is vital for connecting our businesses and communities.  I would like to thank residents and commuters for their patience while this essential infrastructure work is carried out.” To facilitate the safe delivery of the scheme it will be necessary to implement a road closure from Monday 6 January 2025 until Friday 14 February 2025.   signed diversionary routes will be in place via: C91 Balnamore Road-U4128 Taughey Road-C92 Macfin Road-C92 Newbridge Road-C92 Coleraine Road-B62 Coleraine-C91 High Street and vice versa The Department has programmed the work operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience Access will be available to residents and emergency vehicles only Road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works and are asked to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions the works will be substantially complete by Friday 14 February 2025 however the Department will keep the public informed of any change For more information about this and other improvement schemes visit: Trafficwatchni peacefully at Causeway Hospital with his family by his side Lydia & Tommy and a dear close friend of Mary Service in James McMullan & Son funeral Home on Wednesday at 11am followed by interment in Ballymoney Cemetery Family & friends welcome at the Funeral Home on Tuesday between 3 & 5pm Family flowers only please to Macmillan Cancer Support c/o James McMullan & Son BT53 6AQ or online at mcmullanfunerals.com "But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge Share this sad news with friends and loved ones Visit Website [email protected] Link much loved father of Julie and her husband Jason Sonia and her partner Kirk and Simon and his wife Lucy Funeral service in Hebron Free Presbyterian Church on Tuesday at 2pm followed by interment in Ballymoney Cemetery [email protected] The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response 1 MAY 2025BookmarkGeneral view of runners and supporters of the 2024 Moy Park Belfast City Marathon in Belfast city centre (Image: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye)The countdown to the Moy Park Belfast City Marathon 2025 thousands will take to the streets of Belfast to complete the 26.2 mile race you may be wondering how you are going to arrange your travel to or around the city on race day Read more: Belfast City Marathon 2025 LIVE tracker: Official results from this year's race - as it happens Read more: Full list of road closures for Belfast City Marathon 2025 All transport for the marathon is free for spectators and participants - excluding rail services Here is what you need to know about transport and travel ahead of the Belfast City Marathon 2025: Getting to the start line - a shuttle bus will be available from Belfast City Hall (outside SS Moore’s) 07:00am – 8:00am and Lanyon Place Train Station 7:30am – 8:00am to the Start Line Spectator Transport from Stormont - a shuttle bus will pick spectators from Massey Avenue to Ormeau Park after the start of the race at Stormont A shuttle bus service will run 8:00am – 10:00am from Annadale Embankment at Dunnes Stores to drop runners off at their designated relay changeover point: Getting back to Belfast City Centre - a shuttle bus will transport participants from Ormeau Embankment to Belfast City Centre This service will run from 11:45am – 4:00pm Getting back to Stormont – a complimentary Glider service is available from SS Moore’s Chichester Street or Wellington Street to Stormont Please note that Stormont car parks will close from 5:00pm To help people going to the Belfast City Marathon on Sunday 4 May 2025 there will be early morning trains from Derry~Londonderry These additional services cannot be booked in advance and standard fares will apply Parking will be available at the start line within the Stormont Complex for FREE Please note the Upper Newtownards Road from the Stormont Entrance will close from around 8.00am to facilitate traffic management solutions for the start of the event Access will be from the Dundonald side ONLY Parking around Ormeau Park/Finish Area/City Centre – parking will be available in Belfast City Council Car Park To source other suitable parking please follow this link https://visitbelfast.com/plan/car-parking-in-belfast/ Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced that a £607,000 carriageway resurfacing scheme on A26 Frosses Road (Portrush Road Roundabout) and B62 Ballybogey Road / Portrush Road is commencing today The resurfacing scheme will include the Portrush Road Roundabout and extend up to near the junction with Queens Avenue The investment demonstrates my commitment to improving our road network which is vital for connecting our businesses and communities To facilitate the safe delivery of the scheme it will be necessary to various road closures as detailed below:  B62 Ballybogey/Portrush Road closure: Thursday 13 March to Friday 14 March signed diversionary routes will be in place via: C92 Newbridge Road – C92 Coleraine Road – B62 Coleraine Road – B62 Charles Street – B66 Market Street – B66 Knock Road – A26 Frosses Road – B62 Ballybogey Road and vice versa A26 Frosses Road (Portrush Road Roundabout) and B62 Ballybogey/Portrush Road closure: Tuesday 18 March until Saturday 22 March between the hours of 7 pm and 6.30 am Diversion 1 (Eastbound/Westbound traffic): C92 Newbridge Road – C92 Coleraine Road – B62 Coleraine Road – B62 Charles Street – B66 Market Street – B66 Knock Road and vice versa Diversion 2: (Southbound/Northbound traffic): B67 Benvardin Road – B66 Castlecatt Road – B66 Knock Road – A26 Frosses Road and vice versa B62 Ballybogey/Portrush Road closure: Monday 24 March until Friday 28 March the works will be substantially complete by Friday 28 March 2025 For more information about this and other improvement schemes visit: Trafficwatchni Funeral arrangements for the late Bernie McFerran R.I.P (née Cushenan) Ballymoney & formerly Draperstown Everyone welcome to call at the family home on Thursday from 12 noon to 8pm Family time after please.Peacefully at hospital Bernie R.I.P beloved wife of Eugene; loving mother of Ciara McDowell (John) Mark (Oonagh) and Owen and much adored Nanny of Dean Reece and Oran.Daughter of the late Gerry and Mary and dear sister of Mary Vincent and the late Josie.Funeral from her late residence on Good Friday at 10:30am for 11am Service in our Lady & St Patrick's Youtube channel.) Interment afterwards in adjoining cemetery.St Pio pray for her.Bernie has asked "Come as you are and wear colours to celebrate my life."Deeply regretted by the entire McFerran and Cushenan family circle.No flowers please Donations if desired to Brain Injury Matters (the charity that supported Owen.) can be made online at https://mckiernanandsons.com/notices or payable to McKiernan & Sons Visit Website [email protected] Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Economy Minister Conor Murphy have officially opened the newly refurbished library in Ballymoney which has been a critical service for residents in Ballymoney and the surrounding rural areas since 1970 has undergone significant investment to set a new benchmark for sustainability and energy efficiency functional space for library users young and old “It is great to see the re-opening of the library which provides a full range of library services as well as offering local people a much needed “Libraries are integral to the local community and I’m delighted to see that Ballymoney Library has something for everyone from IT support to Health and Wellbeing classes I am particularly pleased that the library has extended the Class Visits programme to encourage more school pupils to visit and enjoy everything Ballymoney Library has to offer “I am confident that the revitalised library will continue to play an important role in Ballymoney “Decarbonising the economy is a key commitment of my Economic Plan and my Department’s ‘Energy Invest to Save Fund’ has invested £73m across the region to support government bodies in reducing their energy costs and carbon emissions has not only supported Ballymoney library to become energy efficient but it has also secured its future as a valuable hub for the local community Collaboration across government is essential for the delivery of energy decarbonisation and will ensure that communities across the region benefit.” supported by the Department for Communities and the Department for the Economy’s Energy Invest to Save Programme 2023/24 has transformed Ballymoney Library into the first public building refurbishment designed to the EnerPHit standard to be completed in the UK The EnerPHit standard is an energy efficiency benchmark developed by the Passivhaus Institute which focuses on retrofitting existing buildings to achieve a high energy efficiency rating Refurbishing to the EnerPHit standard ensures that older buildings meet modern energy efficiency values Ballymoney Library has also been shortlisted in the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) excellence awards Libraries NI Chief Executive said: "We are thrilled to see Ballymoney Library reopen as a pathfinder in sustainable public building design This project underscores our commitment to creating spaces that are not only welcoming and functional but also environmentally responsible “The successful completion of this refurbishment demonstrates what can be achieved through thoughtful investment and collaboration and we are grateful to everyone that has helped with this project It is also positive to see how the community has embraced the library with 449 new members having joined the library at the end of August.” Ballymoney Library is open six days per week including a late night and a Saturday. Visit librariesni.org.uk for full details Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has announced that a £419,000 carriageway resurfacing scheme on the A26 Frosses Road Ballymoney will commence on Monday 19 August 2024 The resurfacing scheme is located close to the Kirk Road junction The investment demonstrates my commitment to improving our rural road network local businesses and commuters for their patience while this essential infrastructure work is carried out.” To facilitate the safe delivery of the scheme it will be necessary to implement an overnight road closure between the hours of 7.00 pm and 6.00 am from Monday 19 August 2024 until Saturday 31 August 2024 while steps have been taken to accommodate local access and Translink bus services throughout the scheme road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works and are asked to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions the works will be substantially complete by Saturday 31 August 2024 A free-to-attend event honouring the life and racing success of 26-time Isle of Man TT winner Joey Dunlop will take place in his hometown of Ballymoney on Saturday the event is being hosted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and will mark 25 years since his tragic death at a road race in Tallinn Taking place the weekend before the start of practice week at this year’s TT races the attraction promises to include the largest ever display of Joey’s race bikes which will be ridden by a roster of famous faces for a parade through the town centre in the evening “We’re excited to welcome fans from all around the world to this extraordinary Joey 25 celebration,” Councillor “Joey was a local legend and a global ambassador – not just for Ballymoney It’s only fitting that we celebrate his enduring legacy in style.” Although many current riders will already be on the Isle of Man preparing for the TT the council say that plans are being made to fly some stars in especially for the event Racers already confirmed to take part in the festivities and evening parade include four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty, and six-time champion Jonathan Rea Road racing royalty in the form of Ryan Farquhar, Bruce Anstey, and Michael Rutter are also set to be there with the organisers promising a chance to meet the riders Former competitors, including Ron Haslam “We couldn’t imagine a better way to remember Joey than with an event in his hometown,” Joey’s wife, Linda said “This milestone anniversary is a poignant time for our family and we’re deeply grateful to the local council for organising this event Seeing so many of Joey’s original bikes displayed and ridden through the town is truly special.” The Dunlop family are expected to be represented in the parade by Joey’s daughter Donna McLean and Michael McCammond Thousands of riders are also expected to visit the town for the celebration, with a memorabilia exhibition running from April in the Ballymoney Museum. Tributes are also planned for the North West 200 races running from May 5-10 plus the Classic Bike Festival Ireland in August Joey Dunlop held the record for the greatest number of wins at the Isle of Man TT races until 2024, when his nephew Michael Dunlop was able to draw level and pass him – ending the racing fortnight with a total of 29 wins Joey also became a five-time world champion and was tragically killed aged 48 at a small Estonian road race in 2000 An estimated 50,000 people attended his funeral with a Gold Standard Level 3 Diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists He has a passion for motorcycles of all capacities He's been working for MCN in print and digital for the best part of 10 years with regular contributions to RiDE Magazine on the side By Dan Sutherland News Editor, trackday fan, lover of 90s sportsbikes Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) stock image Police received a report of the sudden death of a woman in the Boyland Road area of Ballymoney this afternoon the death is not being treated as suspicious It is understood a pet dog was also discovered deceased in the property Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening Please check your inbox to verify your details Celebrations all round on a memorable day for Ballymoney JKC/Causeway Geotech sponsored Ballymoney First XV welcomed Bangor RFC to Kilraughts Road in the final league game of the season on a wet and windy afternoon with still an outside chance of clinching a league top four finish and the hope of All Ireland Cup rugby next season With Portadown playing league leaders Dromore the Toon needed all five points and hope Portadown didn’t pick up any points to finish above them.Ballymoney named an unchanged 18 from last week’s disappointing result at home to Portadown and played up the hill in the first half a clearance from the Bangor 22 was taken by Lewis Hawthorne he offloaded to Andy Gilmour who passed to Matthew Bell who scored the opening try 10 metres in from the touchline Paddy Carson added the conversion 7-0 Ballymoney.Bangor couldn’t live with the home side and on 16 minutes Marty Irwin kicked from within his half to the 22 giving Ballymoney the lineout A resulting penalty and a Money tap-and-go led to several drives on the line before Philip Beattie smashed over to score with Carson again adding the conversion.On 25 minutes the Ballymoney men again increased the lead forward dominance deep in the Bangor 22 led to Phillip Beattie crashing over with the on-song Carson adding the extra points and the Toon took a 21-0 lead going in at half time.Money however didn’t ease second half and five minutes in a Lewis Hawthorne try following a line break by big Sam Brown was again converted by Paddy Carson This try secured the all-important bonus point and after 10 the Toon stretched their lead further Owen Boyd made a great break from his own half before the ball was recycled to Curtis Pollock who got his first of the day with the reliable boot of Carson adding the conversion.A sixth Toon try 15 minutes into the half by Daniel Ramage and a red card shown to Bangor’s no 8 for a dangerous tackle on Sam Brown The fight was gone from the visitors but the Toon were in no mood to take the foot off the gas and wanted to put on a show for the supporters for Phil Beattie and the performance of the season gave the Toon men a fabulous 63-0 win and with Portadown failing to get anything from their game Ballymoney leapfrogged them to secure 4th spot and a place in next season’s All Ireland Junior Cup Senior Coach Andy Graham said after the game: “Absolutely delighted with the performance today We spoke in the changing room before we went out; we were desperately disappointed last week even though we played well but we needed to correct that and today we did “First half we worked really well and went in three scores to the good The fourth try early on second half really finished Bangor off but I’m really pleased we continued to work hard and score more tries.“It was our objective to finish top four at the start of the season and we achieved that today I believe this side will only get better as we’ve so much young talent coming through half the team is younger than 24 and with the experienced players alongside them they can only improve “We look forward to taking a week off before we go again in the cup semi-final here in a fortnight’s time and the hope of a Kingspan final on Easter Monday to finish the season on a high.“Thanks again to all the support this season and to all who make the club the place it is; it means a lot to the coaching team and players having your backing all season.” Share your opinions on Alpha Newspaper Group Stay connected to us to get the latest news and updates This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Naomi McGregor (28) has been named on the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list for social impact 2025 An entrepreneur and former Miss Northern Ireland finalist has been listed in one of the most prestigious industry lists across the globe has been named on the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list for Social Impact for her work in helping female athletes with injury mitigation and sport performance Margaret Canning's selection of business stories sent every Tuesday Last year council received a request from supermarket retailer LIDL asking that they consider designating the towns as holiday resorts in order to avail of longer Sunday opening hours under Article 6 of the Shops (Sunday Trading etc) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 which allows district councils to designate any area within its district as such which was presented to this month’s Environmental Services Committee large shops may open at any time on up to 18 Sundays Council have previously designated Portrush Portstewart and Ballycastle as holidays resorts under the legislation and a similar request for businesses in Coleraine was unsuccessfully proposed in 2021 “A consultation exercise was carried out to gather a broad range of views to inform council’s decision-making process,” the report said Two responses were received in favour of the proposal and while council received several responses in opposition The report added: “Responses opposing the proposal [included] fifteen responses from private individuals [and a] joint letter of objection signed by [representatives from] Retail NI “A Survey by council’s Town and Village manager [received] nine responses from Ballymoney Town Centre Forum; 78 percent opposed 22 percent in favour; and ten responses received from Coleraine Town Team; 50 percent opposed Alliance Councillor Lee Kane said he proposed a public consultation when the item was presented to council in 2024 “Anybody who has been following the media will have seen that it has attracted quite a significant amount of coverage about Ballymoney and Coleraine being holiday destinations “As I said back whenever this first came to council it is a shame that this is the only legislation available to consider such a list “One of the comments from the consultation that really stuck out to me was [when] someone said that they had no objections to Sunday trading per se but the notion of Coleraine and Ballymoney as a holiday resort was “frankly ridiculous” and they’re more than welcome to work alongside council to deliver real and meaningful boost to the economy in Ballymoney and Coleraine “But holiday status isn’t the way to do that and it would economically disadvantage smaller retail businesses.” Firefighters tackling ‘large’ gorse fire in Co Antrim Abdullah SabriSat 5 Apr 2025 at 09:03A gorse fire in Co Antrim needed more than 50 firefighters to bring it under control with 10 acres alight at the peak of the blaze Fire crews dealing with a fire front of 200 metres were finally able to scale back their operation on Friday evening after being called to the Lisboy Road area of Ballymoney shortly after 4pm Two appliances and a specialist vehicle remained at the scene for a few hours extra before the incident was eventually fully resolved seven fire appliances and 51 firefighters were in attendance at the incident near the Co Antrim town Locals had been asked to avoid the area to help support firefighting operations A spokesman from the NIFRS said: “Following an initial call just after 4pm on Friday 4th April 2025 Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service has been tackling a wildfire on Lisboy Road Ballymoney of approximately 10 acres with a fire front of 200 metres “Seven fire appliances and 51 firefighters are in attendance from Ballymoney Coleraine and Maghera Fire Stations supported by a Command Support Unit and other specialist vehicles.” The NIFRS later confirmed that all resources left the scene by 10.18pm It comes after a number gorse fires have swept across parts of the Northern Irish countryside in the past week as the spell of dry weather continues Earlier this week NIFRS said they believed some have been sparked deliberately On April 2 firefighters extinguished a 10-acre gorse fire in the Sperrin Mountains A day prior they responded to a gorse fire covering 25 acres in Warrenpoint which was ignited deliberately Meanwhile the PSNI has said that officers have been deployed to undergo additional patrols in the Mournes Mountain area the natural beauty spot will be under watch from officers in 4x4 vehicles District Commander Superintendent Norman Haslett said: “Gorse fires can cause untold damage and in an area of outstanding natural beauty like the Mournes not to mention the risk to life and property that they pose “We have been implementing additional preventative patrolling in the area motorcycles and our quad bike which can access more remote areas “We have also been utilising Air Support to give us an aerial overview of the mountains.” He added: “Wildfires are completely avoidable and are more often than not they are caused by human activity - whether this is through carelessness and inattention “They are devastating to the environment and ultimately risk the lives of people in the local area and those of the emergency services tasked to deal with them "Deliberately setting a wildfire is a criminal offence for which you can be prosecuted We work closely with our colleagues in the Fire Service in dealing with these fires and where it is found that a fire has been maliciously set it will be fully investigated and when identified those responsible can expect to be arrested and brought before court “We ask the public to help us prevent wild fires by acting responsibly when in the Mournes and if anyone has any information about criminal action linked to previous fires Northern Ireland motorcycling star Phillip McCallen has hailed the opportunity to ride one of former rival Joey Dunlop’s machines in a special anniversary event in Ballymoney as an ‘honour’ The 25th anniversary of road racing legend Joey’s passing is coming up this year on July 2 To celebrate the five-time world champion’s legacy Causeway Coast and Glens Council is organising a one-of-a-kind event in Joey’s home town on Saturday when 25 of his iconic racing machines will be ridden through the town by his former team-mates an ex-Honda team-mate of Joey’s and one-time fierce rival will join a star-studded line-up including World Superbike champions Carl Fogarty and Jonathan Rea and double TT Formula 2 world champion Brian Reid Another of Joey’s old Honda team-mates and close family friend will also take part along with his son Leon Speaking at the Joey 25 launch event in Ballymoney museum McCallen said: “I’m standing here smiling because Joey was my good friend “Obviously he was my team-mate and he was my rival at times but he was never my enemy – it’s just there was very stiff opposition because Joey was the benchmark for road racing and the benchmark around the world “If you beat Joey Dunlop or raced against Joey Dunlop you were some boy and I was very lucky to become a friend of Joey’s “I did beat him a few times but one thing you could say about Joey was that if there was five races in a day at the North West Joey picked his race and he won it and you weren’t going to be him in that race “He was just remarkable and for us to get the honour of riding one of his ex-racing machines – that just wouldn’t happen normally because the people who own those machines are so proud of them and look after them so much “To represent the riders and the community for Joey Dunlop is an honour.” New Zealand’s Bruce Anstey was also among the guests at the launch event and paid a warm tribute to Joey recalling the “proud” moment when he shared the podium with the Ulsterman during his final appearance at the TT in 2000 shortly before he lost his life “He was a big hero of mine and I grew up watching him I used to get the old video tapes over in New Zealand and watch him riding the Isle of Man,” said “I wanted to be just like him really and one day ride against him I stood next to him there (finishing second in the Lightweight 250 race) and it was a proud day for me “To have the chance to ride one of those bikes is just a complete honour.” The special event will feature the largest-ever display of Joey’s motorcycles the iconic machines will roar into life for a closed-road parade through Ballymoney town centre Confirmed riders include Jeremy McWilliams and Eugene Laverty North West 200 record holder Alastair Seeley British Superbike contender and NW200 Superbike king Glenn Irwin while Ryan Farquhar leads a dazzling contingent of road racing talent alongside TT and North West 200 champions Michael Rutter It’s expected that the Dunlop family will be represented in the parade by Joey’s daughter Donna McLean and Michael McCammond Plans are also in motion to fly some riders in from the Isle of Man The Joey 25 event will also feature a ‘meet the riders’ session a memorabilia exhibition will run from April at Ballymoney’s museum with further tributes planned at the North West 200 and a parade of race bikes at the Classic Bike Festival Ireland in August A driver has been left shaken after his vehicle collided with a cow on a Co Antrim road The incident occurred on the outskirts of Ballymoney last night The cow was put down by a vet who attended the scene according to rural neighbourhood officers who attended the scene The PSNI shared details of the incident on its Facebook page including a photograph of a shattered windscreen caused by the impact of the animal The PSNI said: “As you can see from the image the cow bounced up the bonnet and onto the windscreen which thankfully held until the driver got stopped “Thankfully this driver was doing the speed limit which may have saved his life “A black cow on an unlit road led to a written off car but thankfully a safe and well “Unfortunately the animal involved sustained injuries which were beyond repair and was seen to by a local vet who attended the scene.” The PSNI urged motorists to stay alert for unexpected dangers on the roads They added: “Please be vigilant at all times whilst driving "If you own livestock or animals of any sort please be sure to ensure they are appropriately housed and contained.” Ballymoney is gearing up for a special homecoming event in honour of road racing superstar Michael Dunlop following his record-breaking success at the Isle of Man TT Michael etched his name into the history books earlier this year when he notched up his 29th TT win surpassing the record previously held by his late uncle To recognise Michael’s incredible sporting achievement Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council announced that it will host a homecoming event next Saturday (October 26) friends and fans to come together and celebrate his milestone TT victory will see a parade in his honour set off from Seymour Street at 5.30pm and proceed along Main Street and High Street where two of Michael’s TT-winning bikes will be on display outside Ballymoney Town Hall Fans will then have the opportunity to take part in a Q&A session with the racing star as he shares his thoughts on breaking his uncle Joey’s TT record his goals for the future and what it means to be celebrating with thousands of his supporters in his homeplace There will also be some special one-off Michael Dunlop merchandise which will be on sale at Townhead Street car park a special reception will be held in tribute to the 35-year-old’s accomplishments at Ballymoney Town Hall for invited guests Michael will also throw open the doors on a new exhibition in Ballymoney Museum showcasing a series of items and photographs from his illustrious TT career The homecoming event will be capped off with Michael setting off a fireworks display at Ballymoney Showgrounds The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June Michael made his TT debut in 2007 at the age of just 18 recording his first win in the second Supersport Race of 2009 he has amassed an astounding tally of victories at the iconic road racing event with no signs of slowing down any time soon Councillor Ciarán McQuillan said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Michael’s fans from around the world to come together and celebrate his remarkable Isle of Man TT career “The Dunlop name is synonymous with road racing success and with his latest wins at the 2024 Isle of Man TT Michael has not only cemented his legendary status but he has also bolstered the legacy of the Dunlop dynasty as well as Michael’s army of loyal fans from far and wide will make this a very special evening as we celebrate recognise and honour the greatest road racer of all time I invite everyone to join us in what is sure to be an unmissable event.” Parking for the homecoming event is available at Townhead Street car park Church Street car park and Castle Street car park Free parking is also available at Market Street car and Seymour Street as well as to the rear of St James’s Park (former Route Hospital site – please follow appropriate signage).