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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
The BelTelLauren Bradford-Clarke: Being Colin Howell’s daughter
Lauren Bradford-Clarke grew up believing her mother Lesley had taken her own life before finding out the truth – her father was a murderer. She was told her…
The BelTelUVF serial killer supergrass Haddock 'dead man walking'
Former UVF man Mark Haddock has been released from prison in England. A serial killer, Haddock was previously the commander of the notorious Mount Vernon UVF…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe: 'Significant evidential development' over CCTV footage on Northwood Road
Noah Donohoe’s appearance on a leisure centre’s CCTV footage appeared to have been “missed” by police in the first “critical” 24 hours after he went missing…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe: More witnesses say they heard ‘screams’
A witness says she heard two screams the night Noah Donohoe went missing. Another witness said he saw a torch light on his window in the early hours of the…
The BelTelNama trial: How Frank Cushnahan was cleared of fraud
A jury has cleared veteran Belfast business figure Frank Cushnahan of wrong-doing. He had been accused of dishonestly failing to disclose he was in line for…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe Inquest: Witness heard ‘scream’ and mother Fiona was worried over Jordan Peterson book
The inquest into the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe is continuing. On Monday one witness testified she heard a “high-pitched scream” near to where…
The BelTelRostrevor man convicted in Greek court after killing student in holiday confrontation
A County Down man’s holiday in Greece has ended in a conviction for fatal bodily harm. Trinity law graduate Joseph Patrick Connolly has been found guilty of…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe Inquest: Police notes described Noah as a 'high functioning autistic teenager'
The Noah Donohoe inquest has been hearing from witnesses in the street near to where the 14-year-olds remains were found. His body was discovered in north…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe Inquest: Witness saw schoolboy coming off his bike
An Eyewitness saw Noah Donohoe fall over handlebars of his bike the day he went missing – the inquest in his death has heard. Another witness recalled seeing…
The BelTelJon Burrows: New UUP leader on his meteoric rise, how to sell the union, and Nigel Farage
Six months into his career as a politician, Jon Burrows has become the leader of the UUP unopposed. It’s understood the former PSNI officer had overwhelming…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe Inquest: Close friend says teenager “was going through something”
The Noah Donohoe inquest has heard evidence from one of his friends, Charlie Rocks. 14-year-old Noah’s remains were found in a storm drain in North Belfast…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe inquest: Jury hears from friends and teachers
The inquest into the death of 14-year-old schoolboy Noah Donohoe is continuing in Belfast. Noah’s remains were found in a storm drain in North Belfast almost…
The BelTelCarrickfergus UDA enforcer Colin Simms looks for new patch in 'Ards
Sources say UDA enforcer Colin Simms is offering his services beyond his native South-East Antrim and is trying to get out of Carrickfergus. But UDA brigadiers…
The BelTelDerry man gets jail for putting father’s body in fridge
In a case which shocked the city, a 56-year-old Londonderry man has been jailed for preventing the lawful burial of his father. Bizarrely, John Garrett…
The BelTelNoah Donohoe Inquest: Jury hears Fiona Donohoe's evidence
The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe is underway in Belfast. Noah Donohoe’s body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days…
The BelTelUnionist 'unity' - could it ever happen and what does it mean?
Jon Burrows is taking the leadership of the UUP unopposed after current deputy leader Robbie Butler confirmed that he would not be standing. Current party…
The BelTelNorthern Ireland and ‘Nazi Tinder’: Single, lonely, and looking to ‘breed white’
The right-wing dating site Whitedate.net, dubbed the ‘Nazi Tinder’, has dozens of members across Ireland. But only one of them mentions love as a motivation…
- The BelTel
Former PSNI detective says Fermanagh girl Kelly Lynch’s death warrants murder investigation
On St Patrick’s Day 2024, Gardaí made a grim discovery, the body of a young woman in a canal just outside Monaghan town. She was 23-year-old Kelly Marie Lynch…
The BelTelEnniskillen Bombing: Reports claim female who ‘led’ massacre living a ‘comfortable life’ in Fermanagh
A woman identified by Garda as the Enniskillen bombing IRA commander is living an ‘ordinary life’ in Fermanagh – reports have claimed. Twelve people died in…
The BelTelAllison Morris: NI teens shocked to find out AI has 'nudified' them
Northern Ireland women say they are shocked after finding out their clothing was removed from legitimate photographs taken when they were children. The PSNI…
The BelTelBarristers strike means delays for victims, but lawyers say they have no choice
Northern Ireland’s criminal defence barristers are on indefinite strike over pay. The move will exacerbate delays in a system already notorious for how slowly…
- The BelTel
Steve Bannon's plan for Irish MAGA movement - could it happen?
A former trusted adviser of US president Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, gave an interview to Politico, where he claimed that we are "going to have an Irish MAGA…
The BelTelThe UK and Europe in turmoil as Trump goes after the oil
After the abduction of the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro the US now openly seeks to dominate the western hemisphere and to control its wealth. JD Vance…
The BelTelSecret files reveal government wooing of UDA terror chiefs
UK government policy says it does talk to terrorists - but it was directly meeting loyalist ‘brigadiers’ - newly declassified files reveal. Revelations…
The BelTelDUP’s Phillip Brett: "Nigel and Dianne Dodds were my political mum and dad"
At 34, Phillip Brett is one of Stormont’s younger MLAs and the North Belfast Assembly man has seen his profile grow since being elected to Stormont in 2022. He…
The BelTelThe murder of Pearl Gamble and the man who was hanged for it
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 BelTelMartin O’Hagan: The LVF murder of Sunday World journalist and the struggle for justice
Martin O’Hagan was a former IRA prisoner who eventually rejected violence and became an investigative reporter with the Sunday World. He was murdered by the…
The BelTelThe time the Stickies went to North Korea
North Korea is one of the world’s most secretive states – known for its dictators who are treated like gods and an iron-clad grip on their citizens. Back in…
The BelTelMcIlroy’s masters win, boxing success, and NI wins the World Cup... Northern Ireland’s top 15 2025 Sport moments
2025 was a platinum year for Northern Ireland’s sport superstars, from winning Premier League medals to securing world titles. Rory McIlroy finally got his…
The BelTelThe DJ Carey Story EP 3: The Con Collapses
DJ Carey said he was fighting for his life, but the truth was far more shocking. We ask how one of hurling’s greatest heroes went from legend to scandal, and…
The BelTelThe DJ Carey Story EP 2: The Cancer Lies
When DJ Carey told people he had cancer, few questioned him — after all, he was a national treasure. But was DJ really sick, or spinning a story for sympathy…
The BelTelThe DJ Carey Story EP 1: The Sports Star
He conquered the hurling field, but off it DJ Carey was playing a far darker game. This is the story of a national icon who fooled everyone — until the truth…
The BelTelThe murder of Denis Donaldson – a mystery that just gets murkier
Allison Morris explains what we know about the death of the British informer at the heart of Sinn Féin, Denis Donaldson, who was murdered in April 2006. No-one…
The BelTel‘Ulster-Scots a wealth denied, and Britishness not valued as it was’: Lee Reynolds
Lee Reynolds is Northern Ireland's first Commissioner for the Ulster-Scots and the Ulster-British tradition. The Coleraine man is a former DUP special advisor…
The BelTelDave Rupert: The Chicago trucker recruited by the FBI to spy on IRA
Dave Rupert, a six and half foot tall, middle-aged trucker from Chicago, with no Irish links. Rupert was a tourist who enjoyed a pint and through a series of…
The BelTelNI Artist Colin Davidson on painting the late Queen, the Troubles and his most important work
Belfast man Colin Davidson is one of Ireland’s most celebrated painters. Queen Elizabeth II, Bono, Ed Sheeran and Seamus Heaney are among the host of famous…
The BelTel‘Media amplifies opposition to Irish language’: Newly appointed Irish Language Commissioner
The newly appointed Irish Language Commissioner says the Irish language is not controversial and that opposition to it is “amplified” by the media. Dr Pól…
The BelTelScappaticci / Stakeknife’s extraordinary relationship with army revealed
The long-awaited report on the activities of IRA double agent ‘Stakeknife’, Freddie Scappaticci, has now been released. The investigation, which cost close to…
The BelTelDisappeared commission chief on the search for the dead
Four victims of the Troubles - all believed to be victims of the IRA, remain missing. The so-called ‘Disappeared’, people murdered and secretly buried by…
The BelTelThe UDA's deadly attack on Dublin Airport, 50 years on
50 years ago, on November 29, 1975, the UDA attacked Dublin Airport, leading to the death of a baggage handler. The tragedy has been largely forgotten by the…
The BelTel'Republicans' threaten elected politicians
A criminal investigation has been launched after a group of masked and armed men issued threats where they described politicians in the Newry area as…
The BelTelPeople Before Profit's Gerry Carroll outlines his vision of socialism
People before Profit has one MLA in Stormont – Gerry Carroll. But the west Belfast man, known for his pro-Palestinian views and critiques of capitalism, has a…
The BelTelDanny Morrison on 'inevitable' united Ireland, Gerry Adams, and Stormont
Danny Morrison was once Sinn Féin’s publicity director - well-known for the phrase ‘a ballot box in one hand and an Armalite in the other’. Now, he’s no longer…
The BelTelWould a nine-county Northern Ireland have survived?
Northern Ireland is six counties. But the province of Ulster was – and is – made up of nine counties – all including Ulster Protestants. As partition loomed…
The BelTelJulian Simmons on WW3 and Alien invasions, missing 'the old UTV', and losing his mum
Julian Simmons is a Northern Ireland broadcasting legend, best known for his colourful introductions to soaps on UTV. Although continuity was axed on the…
The BelTel"It looks like a youth club": The open prison that lets NI’s most violent men roam free
Burren House is a part of Northern Ireland’s prison system that many of us have never heard of. It’s a pre-release open prison – supposedly intended to prepare…
The BelTelSocialist vigilantes linked to pipe-bomb attacks on west Belfast far right
Members of a vigilante group targeting far-right activists have been blamed for pipe bomb attacks in west Belfast. Sources say the group, which calls itself…
The BelTelEnoch Burke jailed again: Who is funding his crusade?
Enoch Burke and his family have been a recurring fixture in Irish media for the past three years. What began as a workplace dispute over his objection to…
The BelTelPresbyterian Church mired in controversy as PSNI launch criminal investigation
The PSNI has is probing safeguarding failures in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It comes after the church’s moderator Trevor Gribben quit citing ‘serious…
The BelTelBelTel Politics: The BBC, Stormont and a toxic environment for women
Stormont has celebrated its first 10,000 days, but is it struggling with continuing political toxicity? As the UUP’s only mayor says she has faced extreme…
The BelTelThe Anglo-Irish Agreement (Part Three): The ‘game-changer’ which lead to the Good Friday Agreement
Despite the protests and the anger of unionists, the Anglo-Irish Agreement endured under superseeded by the GFA. Some see it as a key factor in attracting Sinn…
The BelTelThe Anglo-Irish Agreement (Part Two): ‘Ulster Says No’ - mass protests erupt over ‘evil document’
Unionists felt that Margaret Thatcher was someone they could trust so when she signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement giving Dublin the right to be consulted over…
The BelTelThe Anglo-Irish Agreement (Part One): Why did Thatcher give Dublin a role in NI?
The Hunger Strikes had led to a surge in support for Republicanism and in October 1984, Margaret Thatcher herself, narrowly escaped death in the Brighton…
The BelTelEamonn Holmes in his own words: "The HMRC came after me... at the most vulnerable time in my life"
“I’m still working because the thieving HMRC came after me... at the most vulnerable time in my life,” Eamonn Holmes has revealed to the BelTel. He spoke to…
The BelTel'Marianne Smyth will never stop scamming' - Con-hunter opens up about being tricked by 'Queen of Con'
Jonathan Walton describes himself as a ‘con-hunter’ but that’s not what he set out to be. The tv producer turned vigilante after he was scammed by con artist…
The BelTel'Wicked, callous and evil liar' jailed after promising to donate kidney over Facebook
An east Belfast woman has been jailed after promising to donate a kidney over Facebook. Nicola Hutton reached out to Billy and Joanne Cullen over social media…
The BelTelBelTel Politics: Givan defiant, Greek signs in Belfast, and toilet flooder wreaks havoc at Stormont
Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan has been the focus of attention and anger over his visit to Israel. The UUP have lost a councillor, Linzi McLaren…
The BelTelFethard-on-Sea: The boycott of Protestants which scandalised Ireland and its link to Ian Paisley
The Fethard-on-Sea Boycott was a notorious event in Irish history. In 1957, Sheila Cloney, the Protestant wife of a Catholic farmer, fled her home with her…
The BelTelMaura Lyons: The Rev Ian Paisley and the 15-year-old “abducted” from west Belfast
The Rev Ian Paisley rose to prominence as the face of hardline unionism but the first time some would have heard of him would have been in connection with…
The BelTelBelTel Politics: LucidTalk, border poll criteria and a northern look at Irish Presidential election
The latest BelTel / LucidTalk polling reveals Sinn Féin keep the top spot as both the DUP and UUP see a slight boost in popularity, but the trend is worrying…