Other News In Brief

Golf Fans Warned Against Unofficial Open Tickets

Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of the action at the Open golf championship this week have been warned to only arrive with tickets from reputable suppliers.

Each day of the tournament from 18-21 July has sold out, with tickets remaining only for practice days.

Individuals planning to attend with tickets purchased on their behalf by an unofficial supplier or third-party reseller such as Viagogo, Safetickets, Stubhub, eBay or Gumtree risk being denied entry to the course, a spokesperson has warned.

New Parkrun To Launch In Ballyclare

A new parkrun event is set to launch this weekend, Saturday 20 July, in Ballyclare.

Local residents are encouraged to grab their trainers and join the race which is free of charge. Whether you're a mum pushing a pram, a dog walker or a regular runner, the weekly event is open to all ages and abilities.

Parkrun is a timed, five kilometre walk or run organised by volunteers and is a great way to get fit and active as well as meet new friends. Kicking off at Sixmilewater Park at 9.30am every Saturday, the route will start at the main street side of the park with runners completing one big loop followed by three small loops of the park. 

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Alderman John Smyth commented: "We currently facilitate a parkrun every Saturday morning in Antrim and in Newtownabbey and I am delighted that we can now offer a third venue in Ballyclare. I would encourage everyone to take part, whether you would like to walk or run, parkrun is a great way to get outdoors and get active."

Anyone wishing to take part in the Ballyclare parkrun must register beforehand at www.parkrun.org.uk and bring their barcode along on the day.

Consultation To Begin On Portglenone Football Pitch

A consultation is set to be held to investigate the need for a new football pitch in the County Antrim village of Portglenone.

The public will be asked to give views on the current facilities being used for football to understand if an additional area is needed.

This follows a major refurbishment at Portglenone Marina in 2014 which saw the local football pitch removed.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will now conduct a survey to establish both the need and a suitable location for new sports provision.

Alderman Tommy Nicholl MBE said: "We want to give the people of Portglenone the opportunity to have their say on the need and location of a new sports facility. There have been a number of calls for a fit-for-purpose pitch in the village and this consultation is an opportunity for local individuals and community groups to identify their needs and indicate their views on the type and location and facilities they need.

"The information provided will help give council a better understanding of what is needed for local people in the Portglenone community so I am urging people to feed into the survey. Residents can be assured that all information gained from the questions will remain confidential and that the information from the survey will be handled in line with Data Protection legislation."