Shows / The BelTel
The BelTel
The BelTel brings you some of Northern Ireland's top journalists, Allison Morris, Sam McBride and Suzanne Breen to name but a few, giving you the inside stories behind what is in the news. Presented by Ciarán Dunbar, the Bel Tel investigates, debates and informs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Episodes
- The BelTel
Private Investigator: Ian Withers on tracking the IRA, informing for the Seychelles government and murder allegations
Globe-trotting Private Investigator Ian Withers reflects on his extraordinary career, from speaking to Gerry Kelly in prison after the 1973 Old Bailey bombing…
- The BelTel
Sam McBride and Allison Morris on Jeffrey Donaldson’s arrest and what it means for the DUP
Northern Ireland Politics were thrown into chaos at the weekend when Jeffrey Donaldson resigned as DUP leader. He’s been charged with historical sex offences…
- The BelTel
Jeffrey Donaldson resigns as DUP leader after being charged with historical sex offences
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has resigned as DUP leader after being charged with historical sex offences. The Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride…
- The BelTel
Ian Hurst: The Army ‘spook’ who exposed Scappaticci and accuses McGuinness
Ian Hurst worked with the British Army’s ‘Force Research Unit’ during the Troubles. He later exposed Freddie Scappaticci as the agent known as Stakeknife…
- The BelTel
Simon Harris and NI, Sinn Féin heckled left and right
Tom Galvin and Andrew Madden join Ciaran Dunbar to explain who Simon Harris is and what he might mean for Northern Ireland. And with Sinn Féin being heckled…
- The BelTel
Megan McAlorum: Murderer of west Belfast teen dies in road crash
Sixteen year old Megan McAlorum’s body was found in a Dunmurry forest in 2004 after a night out. Her body was found with 54 fractures to her skull, among other…
The BelTelPat McArt: Derry, the Troubles and Martin McGuinness
As editor of The Derry Journal during the Troubles, Pat McArt found himself a trusted critic and counsellor to political giants like Martin McGuinness and John…
- The BelTel
Pearse McCauley: The life and crimes of the IRA garda killer and wife beater
*A warning, today's episode contains details of domestic violence which listeners may find upsetting* Terrorist, garda killer and prolific wife beater, Pearse…
- The BelTel
Sam McBride's week in politics: TUV, Reform, Gaza and Biden
The TUV have hooked up with Reform UK but what is in this arrangement for both parties and who is Reform UK anyway? And Sinn Féin went to America despite of…
The BelTelMillionaire heiress to IRA mastermind - Rose Dugdale, the renegade debutante
Rose Dugdale died in her sleep in a Dublin nursing home yesterday morning at the age of 83.She was the former debutante who once curtseyed to Queen Elizabeth…
- The BelTel
Is Ukraine losing the war, and how far will Russia go?
Russia’s army has made some advances in eastern Ukraine, forcing the Ukrainians onto the back foot. The pope has controversially called for Ukraine to raise…
- The BelTel
Red Army Faction member captured after 30 years, who were the terror gang?
An armed German terrorist has been captured after 30 years on the run – but the manhunt for others continues. Daniela Klette is one of three members of the…
- The BelTel
Eamonn Mallie: ‘Eyewitness to War and Peace’
Eamonn Mallie is one of NI’s best-known journalists. The south Armagh man has been a leading radio and television reporter since 1975, covering much of the…
- The BelTel
Sam McBride: What will PM Starmer mean for NI and a border poll?
A Labour general election victory means Sir Keir Starmer, who has a long history with NI, would become Prime Minister. Once in favour of a united Ireland, he’s…
- The BelTel
Britain’s worst mass murders – what drove the killers?
Despite tough firearms laws, the UK has seen several horrific gun massacres. Hungerford, Dunblane, and the Cumbria shootings, to name but a few. They were mass…
The BelTelOscar drama: The scandals, snubs and controversies that shook Hollywood
As Cillian Murphy keeps his fingers crossed for an Oscar win, the Academy Awards looks forward to celebrating its 95th anniversary. However, Hollywood’s…
- The BelTel
OnlyFans: NI 'pornstar' defends her work - but is it empowerment or exploitation?
Due to the rise of platforms like OnlyFans, Sex work has been subject to a media frenzy in recent years. The issue has long been met with outrage by religious…
- The BelTel
Alliance Party members begin to lean towards Irish unity
More Alliance members would now vote for Irish unity than to remain in UK. Almost 38% of Alliance members said they would vote for a united Ireland. So has…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris: Antrim ATM raiders jailed – but where’s the money?
More than £2 million is missing after a string of ATM thefts carried out by the same notorious Co Antrim gang. They got away with it for two years encouraging…
- The BelTel
How BDSM fetish chatroom led to mass murder in Fermanagh
WARNING: This episode of the BelTel contains graphic details which some listeners might find disturbing. Daniel Allen admitted killing an entire family…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris: Supergrass Haggarty's evidence 'unreliable' as UVF man not guilty of Convie & Fox murders
James Smyth has been found not guilty of killing Eamon Fox (41) and 24-year-old Gary Convie. Mr Convie and Mr Fox were in a parked car awhen they were shot…
- The BelTel
Casement Park: Will stadium controversy poison atmosphere at Stormont?
The proposed new stadium at Casement Park in west Belfast is hoped to be part of the 2028 Euros but that has enraged some Northern Ireland fans. Meanwhile, a…
- The BelTel
Davy Tweed: Stepdaughter on life with former Ireland rugby player and ‘violent paedophile’
Amanda Brown has written a book, ‘No peace until he’s dead’, explaining what former Irish rugby star Tweed did to her and her family. Davy Tweed was a popular…
The BelTelConor Bradley: How the young Tyrone man took Liverpool and the Premier League by storm
County Tyrone’s Conor Bradley has been described as the most exciting footballer to emerge from Northern Ireland since ‘60s legend George Best. The Liverpool…
- The BelTel
That Girls' night in the Devenish: Pleasure Boys shock, but some think it's just 'a bit of fun'
The word ‘shocking’ gets bandied about loosely these days, but videos and photographs that have circulated after an X-rated Valentine's weekend event in…
- The BelTel
BelTel LucidTalk poll: Is there now support for a united Ireland?
The results of the latest Belfast Telegraph LucidTalk poll are in. Support for the DUP has slightly weakened, while support for Sinn Féin First Minister…
- The BelTel
Texas and 'civil war': The Russian disinformation campaign stoking division in the US
Would you know disinformation if you saw or heard it? And might you be seeing it now in the U. S. on topics such as immigration around the Texas border? If you…
- The BelTel
Life beyond Earth and UFOs: What does the ‘evidence’ tell us?
The question of whether humanity stands alone in the universe is one of the biggest questions there is. Is there life beyond earth, and if there is, is it…
- The BelTel
BelTel politics: Where’s Stormont going to get the cash from?
Health, education, and roads are just some of the areas Stormont needs to spend big on. But now the exchequer has ordered the Executive to raise £113 million…
- The BelTel
'I spoke to Ian Bailey the day before he died' - The expert who questions his guilt
“I certainly could find nothing that led me to believe in Ian Bailey’s guilt.” That’s according to a retired UK senior forensic officer who has investigated…
The BelTelMcGladdery: The last man hung in Northern Ireland for the vicious murder of Pearl Gamble
The morning after a dance in a Newry orange hall, 19-year-old Pearl Gamble’s body is found at the end of a trail of blood. Suspicion immediately falls on…
The BelTelIreland and Palestine: Will Sinn Féin skip the annual White House Visit?
The Republic of Ireland has found itself as a European outlier in its broad public support for Palestine throughout the ongoing war in Gaza. With the annual St…
The BelTelEast Belfast UVF: PSNI cocaine crackdown brings down gang
Following the murder of Ian Ogle in 2019, the PSNI felt the pressure and resolved to strike a blow against UVF cocaine dealers – that operation has seen a raft…
- The BelTel
Stormont Return: Sam McBride and David McCann on how’s it going
The Stormont Assembly and the executive are back in action, although there have been some obstacles on the way. Sinn Fein expressed their surprise at the DUP’s…
- The BelTel
RAF Chinook crash: The Mull of Kintyre tragedy
Just before 6pm on 2nd June 1994 an RAF Chinook helicopter leaves from Aldergrove. On board are 25 key intelligence officers including members of the army, MI5…
- The BelTel
"I never had any doubt that Ian Bailey killed Sophie Toscan du Plantier"
The death of Ian Bailey in Cork leaves many unanswered questions in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Irish Independent journalists Senan Molony and…
- The BelTel
Sir Jeffrey strikes a bargain: What’s in the DUP’s new deal?
It seems that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has won the battle - the DUP leader is taking the party back to Stormont after securing a new deal with the government. Is…
- The BelTel
DUP return to Stormont: Who is Jamie Bryson’s ‘mole’?
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has convinced the majority of the DUP that it’s time to restore power sharing. Following a bizarre evening of social media leaks…
- The BelTel
Kneecap: Critics rave over film but unionists rage over its funding
West Belfast group Kneecap regularly court controversy – but is that just part of their act? Singing mostly in Irish about drugs, the DUP and social exclusion…
The BelTelSinn Féin: Where does the party stand on immigration?
Immigration has become a big talking point in the Republic of Ireland in a very short space of time - and it's likely to become a key electoral issue. The main…
- The BelTel
DUP Update: Sir Jeffrey throws down the gauntlet
In a passionate speech earlier this week Jeffrey Donaldson said threats wouldn’t stop him from engaging with the UK government. Is the DUP leader ready to face…
- The BelTel
Europe 2024: What's lies ahead for the EU with Donald Trump on the horizon?
Against a backdrop of a rising far right and war across the globe, Europe goes to the polls in June. Why is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán seen as the…
- The BelTel
Margaret Perry and the IRA’s execution of her alleged murderer
The body of Portadown woman Margaret Perry was found a year after she went missing, the bodies of three men the IRA itself accused of her murder were found…
- The BelTel
Rose Dugdale: The English millionaire debutante who joined the IRA
Born in England into immense wealth and luxury, Rose Dugdale turned her back on riches to become a bombmaker, a thief and a terrorist. But why did she abandon…
- The BelTel
The United Nations: Why is it so powerless as wars continue to rage?
Prof Jussi Hanhimäki argues the international body is still important, despite the challenges it faces. But what exactly is the UN? What is its role today? And…
- The BelTel
The Foundlings: Three siblings abandoned alone search for fourth ‘foundling’
This is the story of three long-lost siblings, all abandoned in mysterious circumstances in Lisburn, Dundalk and Drogheda, who unbelievably found their way…
- The BelTel
Kevin Conway: ‘Firm’ member slain in west Belfast gangland murder
Kevin Conway, originally from the Lurgan area, was shot dead in Belfast on 9th January. Linked to ‘The Firm’ he was one of three men charged in relation to the…
- The BelTel
Post Office scandal: “They knew what was going on”
Described as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history, between 1999 and 2015 over 700 postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of…
The BelTelBest of the Beltel: Colm Murphy, the veteran republican found liable for Omagh Bombing
South Armagh republican Colm Murphy died earlier this year at the age of 70. He had been convicted but later acquitted of involvement in the Omagh bombing. He…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: How romance monster Phillip O'Shea went from online catfisher to real life stalker – and how he got caught (Part 2)
Philip O’Shea was initially charming when he contacted vulnerable women online. He was a friend, a flatterer, someone who could help. But his true intentions…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: Romance monster catfisher threatens dozens of women – just for kicks (Part 1)
Philip O’Shea is a prolific online predator who lurked behind fake profiles, first coming across as charming friendly and flirty, then going in for the kill in…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: The 'living hell' of winning the Lottery
We all dream of winning the Lottery, but then we hear stories about how winning the millions sent some people’s lives into a tailspin. The self-described ‘king…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: The life and crimes of Ballymena’s 'Cocaine King' Noel Johnston
On October the 15th, 2021, the PSNI launch a raid an apartment in Ballymena, as part of a wider operation against drug in the town. The man who lived there was…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: John DeLorean, the man who brought the future back to Belfast
John DeLorean was an eccentric but brilliant engineer. He had remarkable success in the US automotive industry, but he dreamed of striking out by himself and…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: ‘How a cult brainwashed me, and how I escaped’
Most people believe that they could never be brainwashed into a cult or be totally enthralled by a cult leader, but it is believed that thousands of people…
The BelTelBest of the BelTel: Gerard Mackin, the Belfast-born Kinahan enforcer the criminal underworld fears
Gerard Mackin is the six-foot-tall gangland enforcer who is feared from the Falls to Limerick That is not surprising when you consider he was convicted of…
The BelTelStalkers, sexism and Santa: Could Christmas movies like Love Actually be made today?
December is drawing to a close, so it’s time for some seasonal escapism as we consider the humble festive art form that is... the Christmas movie. From…
- The BelTel
‘Winkie’ Rea: The loyalist leader who led the Red Hand Commando
Winston Rea, known as Winkie Rea, died aged 72 at the beginning of December. He was the ex-leader of the loyalist terror group, the ‘Red Hand Commando’, and…
- The BelTel
Israeli ambassador says “absolutely no” to Palestinian statehood
Israel's ambassador to the UK has strongly reject the prospect of a future Palestinian state. Tzipi Hotovely told Sky News Israel will not accept a ‘two-state…
The BelTelAlexei Navalny: Imprisoned but still Putin's greatest opponent
The imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is no longer at the prison colony where he was being head. The loss of contact likely signals a Kremlin…