Local archive
Community
Inclusive Christmas sessions for children with sensory processing issues, autism or special educational needs will return to Bleary Business and Community Centre from 4 to 20 December, with free tickets released on 20 November.
Community
Men and boys are being invited to a free Lord Mayor’s Mental Health Support Event at South Lake Leisure Centre on Thursday 19 November, with health checks, activity tasters and advice from local organisations.
Community
Young people aged 15 to 21 met elected representatives at Craigavon Civic Centre to learn how local government decisions are made and raise issues affecting their communities.
Traffic & Construction Markethill
A £490,000 improvement scheme on the A27 Auglish Road between Tandragee and Poyntzpass will bring lane closures before weekday daytime road closures from 16 November to 4 December 2026.
Community
A new PEACEPLUS-backed programme will offer fully funded ski and paddle-sports instructor training to residents aged 16 and over across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough.
Crime & Public Safety
An Armagh chef found guilty of launching an antisemitic “hate spree” at a Jewish couple’s wedding has denied making antisemitic comments, saying he did not know the event was Jewish.
Traffic & Construction Demesne
Planning permission has been granted for 39 homes, garages, access roads and landscaping on land beside Meadow View and Deanery Park in Armagh.
Education Loughgall
Armagh playwright, author and biologist Byddi Lee has lived in Canada, California and Paris, but says the sense of community and belonging she found at home ultimately drew her and her husband back to the Orchard County.
Business & Openings Milford
Lynda Pollock, who was born and raised in Armagh, is preparing to launch The Promise Keeper, a novel based on her father Eric Armstrong’s experiences as a Second World War prisoner of war and his lifelong friendship with a Polish farming family.
Traffic & Construction Middletown
Lisnadill Primary School and St John’s Primary School in Middletown are among 33 schools included in the latest phase of Northern Ireland’s part-time 20mph road safety scheme. The measures are intended to slow traffic when children arrive and leave school, with the programme now covering 307 schools since 2020/21.
Business & Openings
Residents across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon borough can nominate a local business in the Northern Ireland’s Favourite Local Business 2026 competition, with nominations closing on 30 November 2026.
Crime & Public Safety
A 67-year-old Armagh man has been jailed after being caught driving while disqualified, uninsured and more than three times over the drink-drive limit in a car displaying false number plates.
Community
McKinney Competitions has launched its 2026 Making A Difference Christmas campaign, combining a £20,000 cash alternative or 2021 Škoda Kodiaq Sportline prize with fundraising and gift donations for three local charities.
Community
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is continuing a joint investigation into pollution affecting Armagh’s Folly River after a member of the public reported dead fish and a strong chemical smell.
Community
A record 799 people were waiting for domiciliary care in the Southern Trust area on 31 March 2026, with figures showing major delays for patients ready to leave Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital.
Crime & Public Safety
An Aghavilly family has described its heartbreak after stones were removed from two graves at St Mary’s Church graveyard, just outside Armagh, leaving relatives facing the cost of replacing them before Remembrance Sunday.
Sport Hamiltonsbawn
The Armagh community is mourning the death of Noel Dillon, the much-loved owner of Armagh Locksmiths on Scotch Street, who passed away at home in Hamiltonsbawn on November 4 after a battle with cancer.
Education Richhill
A Sinn Féin MLA has alleged that a DUP politician is a prominent sponsor of Richhill AFC, which Education Minister Paul Givan is attempting to award £30,000.
Community
Widespread tributes have been paid to Nadine Gallagher from The Spires in Portadown, who died peacefully surrounded by her family. Her funeral Mass will take place at Drumcree on Friday at 11am.
Culture
Visitors can explore Armagh Observatory and Planetarium’s historic telescopes during guided tours taking place on Saturday 7 November and Saturday 28 November.
Community
A two-year Age Friendly Programme, delivered by Southern Regional College and funded through PEACEPLUS, will offer workshops and activities for residents aged 50 and over across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough.
Crime & Public Safety
Former special-forces personnel have described the 1997 operation near Crossmaglen in which suspected IRA sniper Bernard McGinn was captured after a pursuit involving SAS commandos, intelligence teams and specialist police.
Culture City Centre
Armagh’s Georgian Festival Light Show will return to Market Square across Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November 2026, with online-only tickets priced at £3.50 per person and strict entry, access and parking arrangements for visitors.
Community City Centre
A local Armagh community group has asked ABC Council to extend festive lighting along several approach roads and residential and commercial areas, saying parts of the city have been left without displays in recent years.
Community
A County Armagh mother is fundraising to help her eight-year-old son, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, access specialist therapy.
Culture Navan
Navan Centre & Fort has celebrated the success of its annual Samhain: The Beginning event, which brought Celtic traditions, folklore and living history to the heritage site just outside Armagh City.
Community City Centre
Santa on Tour will reach Armagh during Georgian Weekend on Sunday 29 November 2026, with a packed borough-wide programme featuring festive entertainment, artisan markets, the Christmas Lightshow, free parking and inclusive Christmas sessions.
Traffic & Construction Navan
Businesses at Armagh’s Ring Road Shopping Centre are introducing clearer customer-only parking signs after traders said vehicles left at the site for work, events and nearby match days were restricting access and hitting trade.
Community City Centre
Dead fish have been found along the Folly River between Redrock and Armagh city centre after a resident reported a strong oil smell and white foam on the water. Suspected pollution is under investigation by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, while people with animals or livestock near the river are advised to restrict access.
Business & Openings Keady
Natural World Products has been issued with a legally binding enforcement notice after inspections found excess waste, odour-control defects and inadequate pest-control measures at its recycling and composting facility in Keady, County Armagh.
