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 BelTelUVF members behind Dublin Monaghan Bombings named
Members of the UVF unit responsible for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings have been named for the first time. The bombings in May 1974 killed 33 civilians and…
The BelTelPrince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre: The book that rocked the royals
The release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir ‘Nobody’s Girl’ has brought new details of Prince Andrew’s alleged involvement in her abuse to light…
The BelTelFlags and sectarian grievances are ‘hindering NI boxing’
According to a report by the Equality Commission, Flags and sectarian grievances are ‘hindering NI boxing’. The review comes after boxer Daryl Clarke claimed…
The BelTelBloody Sunday Soldier F found not guilty
Soldier F has been cleared of two murders on Bloody Sunday. A judge in Belfast has ruled the evidence against the veteran fell below the standard needed…
The BelTelBelTel Politics: What a new Irish President means for NI amid souring relations in Stormont
With days to go in the two-horse race to the Irish Presidency, who is likely to come out on top, and what could the winner mean for Northern Ireland? And up at…
The BelTelUnited Ireland or United Kingdom: Sam McBride and Fintan O’Toole on the "good arguments for, and against"
'Many people in the south have no northern friends' Some clinging to the NHS... but people live longer under Republic's system How can you argue for and…
The BelTelThe Enhanced Games: Will the ‘steroid Olympics’ be the evolution of sport or its undoing?
Imagine a sporting arena in which the taboo becomes the rule; where athletes aren’t tested, but encouraged to push the “chemical boundaries” of sport. Welcome…
The BelTelNewry drug baron ‘The Chocolate’ unwrapped at last
One of Northern Ireland’s most powerful drug barons - ‘The Chocolate’ - can finally be unmasked. 48-year-old Newry man John McGivern has been forced to confess…
The BelTelBelTel Politics: Irish sign controversy continues, DUP and TUV at loggerheads, and Mike Nesbitt’s potential successor
Mike Nesbitt has set out his vision for unionism at the UUP conference – but is he ready to pass the baton? Meanwhile at Stormont, arguments over cultural…
The BelTelThe road to the Anglo-Irish Agreement: The New Ireland Forum
The Hunger Strike of 1981 saw a surge in violence that left scores killed. With no end to the Troubles imaginable and Sinn Féin emerging as a serious electoral…
The BelTelMalcolm McKeown: The life, crimes and execution of the notorious gangster
Malcolm McKeown was shot dead at point blank range in August 2019. McKeown was a career criminal, from a family steeped in violence - both his brothers had…
The BelTelBelTel Politics: Irish signs, Labour snubs, the SDLP targeting Alliance, and will Farage eat the Tories?
Domestically, NI politics has been consumed by Irish language issues this week and unionists reel in the wake of Belfast City Council’s new bilingual policy –…
The BelTelMassive Nama fraud trial begins with dramatic evidence: Sam McBride reports
The so-called Nama trial is underway in Belfast, more than a decade after police first began an exceptionally complex and significant investigaton. Frank…
The BelTelThe Maze / Long Kesh prison: History still resonates from derelict site 25-years after paramilitaries walked out the door
The peace process saw the release of paramilitary prisoners from HMP Maze, aka the Maze, the H-Blocks, Long Kesh, an Cheis Fhada. The maximum-security prison…
The BelTelThe IRA Kidnapping of Dutch Industrialist Dr Tiede Herrema that shocked the world
50 years ago, a pair of desperate Provisional IRA members etched their names in history as a crime driven by personal passion went astray. Their victim however…
The BelTelOnlyfans model Madison Allen: Wife of John George’s alleged killer arrested after crystal meth find
An Onlyfans model married to John George’s alleged killer has been arrested after allegedly being found with drugs in Spain. Belfast man John George’s body was…
The BelTelOfficials fear right not to send kids to school or tell state they exist could be dangerous
Northern Ireland’s education system has no idea how many children it’s responsible for and there's no legal requirement for parents to tell education…
The BelTelKneecap’s Mo Chara says ‘it was always about Gaza’ as terror case thrown out
The terrorism case against Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been thrown out. The magistrate dismissed the case over a technical error. Ó hAnnaidh said the…
The BelTelGuinness: The Earl of Iveagh on his famous family and the drink which made their fortune
The Guinness dynasty is the subject of a new Netflix series ‘House of Guinness’. Ned Guinness, the Earl of Iveagh, is the great-great-great-great grandson of…
The BelTelNotorious evangelical Christian Burke family confront the DUP over LGBT ‘support’ - why?
Two members the Burke family have confronted the education minister Paul Givan accusing him ‘promoting sodomy’ and ‘deceiving the people of Northern Ireland’…
The BelTelFrom H-Blocks to the pulpit: how IRA gunman Mark Lenaghan became a Catholic cleric
The funeral of 65-year-old Mark Lenaghan in Castlewellan attracted a large crowd and plenty of well-wishes for the beloved local deacon, but not everyone…
The BelTelStephen Walker: ‘There would have been no Good Friday Agreement without David Trimble’
Sam McBride sits down with Stephen Walker who has published a biography on the Nobel Peace Prize winner, entitled ‘Peacemaker’. ‘David Trimble: Peacemaker’ is…
The BelTelBorder Bandit Brendan ‘B-Man’ O’Callaghan looking at jailtime over encrochat cocaine dealing
A Crossmaglen man with Republican family connections has plead guilty to drug and money laundering. The so-called ‘B-Man’, 37-year-old Brendan O’Callaghan, who…
The BelTelNo Tyrone Goldrush: Why Stormont confusion and local division mean gold worth billions might stay under the ground
There are billions of pounds worth of gold under the Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone. A US-based company, Darlriadan Resources, wants to mine it. But local…
The BelTel‘Soldier F’ Bloody Sunday trial begins in Belfast - Nicola Tallant reports
The trial of Soldier F has begun in Belfast. The former paratrooper is accused of murdering James Wray and William McKinney, two of the thirteen civil rights…
The BelTel'The scientist who wasn’t there’: The incredible story of a fantasist father, was he a spy?
Michael Briggs has a famous scientist but as it turns out he had faked some of his qualifications. He also faked research that supposedly showed the safety a…
The BelTelMarianne Smyth: The American con-woman who claimed to be on IRA Army Council and to be Jennifer Anniston
Marianne Smyth had a long career on both sides of the Atlantic as a swindler and a con-woman. Smyth has now been convicted in Downpatrick of swindling more…
The BelTelWhat does the murder of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk mean for an angry America?
Thirty-one-year-old conservative activist and father-of-two Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a public event on Wednesday. With an intense manhunt underway…
The BelTelSeptember 2005 Riots: The three days of mayhem as police and soldiers battled loyalist rioters and gunmen
Riots were a familiar feature of the Troubles, but with political violence now almost a thing of the past, rioting is rare. However, sparked by a decision not…
The BelTelSean Hegarty: How is the brutal double murderer able to be on Facebook despite being in prison?
Sean Hegarty is a brutal double murderer. He is currently in Northern Ireland’s maximum-security prison, Maghaberry. But he is somehow updating a Facebook…
- The BelTel
The death of Brian Murphy: Dublin's class distinctions and southside privilege on trial
Twenty-five years ago, as a long summer drew to a close, a night out ended in tragedy. It changed the lives of four young men forever, ending another’s far too…
The BelTelFather Ted's Graham Linehan arrested by armed police amidst Trans controversy
Irish man Graham Linehan is one of the brains behind one of TV’s finest ever comedies – Father Ted. He is now a self-described ‘gender critical’ activist…
The BelTelIRA Stormont Spy Ring: What secret files reveal about Denis Donaldson and the Stormont crisis
When an IRA Stormont spy ring was alleged in 2002, devolution quickly plunged into crisis. A PSNI raid on Sinn Féin's Stormont offices discovered a map of…
The BelTelThe IRA’s Heathrow attacks, a massive lie, and enduring love
In March 1994 the IRA attacked Heathrow Airport with mortar bombs, they were high profile and highly symbolic acts. One of those involved was Glasgow-born IRA…
The BelTelLord Alderdice: Dossier alleging bullying in Presbyterian Church still with Charity Commission three years later
Lord Alderdice is a former leader of the Alliance Party in Northern Ireland who still sits in the House of Lords. He has a background steeped in Presbyterian…
The BelTelNine murders in nine weeks: Northern Ireland’s problems with violence continue
The death of a man in Newcastle brings the number of people murdered in Northern Ireland in the past nine weeks to nine, with twelve people murdered so far…
The BelTelKew Files: Jeffrey Donaldson secretly told governments he wasn't as hardline as they thought
Donaldson walked away from the Good Friday Agreement talks but formerly secret files show that he was far from a staunch hardliner, Hours before the deal was…
The BelTelLoyalism, what do loyalist women want, and why they don’t trust the media or that O'Neill and Little-Pengelly are in control
"Im convinced Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly aren't working off their on agenda and their own mind" - that’s the verdict of a leading female…
The BelTelThe Killings of the Reavey Brothers: Eugene Reavey tells the story of the murders and the role he believes Willie Frazier played
On the 4th of January 1976, UVF gunmen burst in to a house in Whitecross, in South Armagh. They shot three young brothers, John Martin, Brian, and Anthony…
The BelTelKneecap’s Mo Chara’s terror charge case judgment delayed over technical legal argument
The judge hearing Kneecap member Mo Chara’s terror charge case needs more time to think about what he’s going to do next. 27-year-old Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh from…
The BelTelLucidTalk: TUV, unionist pacts, bonfires and bilingual signs
The TUV has dramatically emerged as the third most popular party in Northern Ireland in the latest BelTel / LucidTalk polling. Most unionists want electoral…
The BelTelThe Gunmen: The Nutting Squad, who were the IRA's security team really loyal to?
The IRA's internal security unit, responsible for hunting down informers and executing them, was known as 'The Nutting Squad'. Ruthless, cruel, efficient, but…
The BelTelAllison Morris: East Belfast fox-baiter Neil Pinkerton behind racist ‘patrols’ now banned by TikTok
‘Racism, pure and simple’ - that’s the PSNI’s assessment of an anti-migrant group roaming the streets of east Belfast. The self-styled vigilantes were posting…
The BelTelThe Gunmen: Colm Murphy, the life-time south Armagh republican found liable for Omagh
South Armagh republican Colm Murphy was at various points a member of the Provisional IRA, the INLA and the Real IRA. In his later years, he was linked to the…
The BelTelSam McBride on the DUP’s route to power sharing - denials, flattery of Ian Paisley’s ego and secret Sinn Féin talks
Flattery, deceit, a bung, MI5, and the secret back-channel to Sinn Féin- uncovered files have revealed the DUP’s route to power-sharing. Publicly the DUP…
The BelTel“I know evil is an over an overused word, but he was evil”: Detective who solved NI’s longest cold case
In September 1966 the body of a baby girl – Lynda Cochrane – was discovered at Ballykinler Army Base in County Down. It wasn’t until 2006 when former soldier…
The BelTelPeter ‘the Punt’ Robinson and the the loyalist ‘invasion’ of Clontibret
In the early hours of 7 August 1986, hundreds of Ulster Loyalists, some in paramilitary uniforms, spilled over the border and into the County Monaghan village…
The BelTelPaddy Kielty and Cat Deeley’s shock split and is Liam Neeson going out with Pamela Anderson?
From the parish newsletter to the daily death notices, we like to keep tabs on the comings and goings of life around us. And when it comes to celebrities…
The BelTelLondon UDA ‘transitions’ into an “old comrades association”
There are reports that the London UDA has transitioned into an “old comrades association”. The faction fundraised for loyalist activities in Northern Ireland…
The BelTelBanbridge schoolgirl turned Islamic terrorist 'White Widow', connected to 7/7 attacks, remains at large
The so-called ‘White Widow’ is one of the world’s most wanted Islamic terror suspects. Samantha Lewthwaite has been linked to 400 deaths and the 7/7 attacks…
The BelTelSole suspect in Fermanagh shooting tragedy, Ian Rutledge, dies in hospital
The only suspect in the murder investigation into the fatal shootings of a mother and her two children in Co Fermanagh has died. Ian Rutledge (43) passed away…
The BelTelThe Miami Showband Massacre: "They tried to wipe out the entire band"
In 1960s Ireland, the showband scene was a massive cultural phenomenon. Ballrooms filled up night after night across the country, and at its heart was The…
The BelTelSouth-East Antrim UDA starts ‘winding down’ but rule out disbanding
Talk of loyalist paramilitaries disbanding is now generally seen as extremely unlikely. Cynicism abounds as to whether these armed groups will ever…
The BelTelFermanagh in shock after woman and children murdered in their own home
Three members of a family have been murdered in Maguiresbridge. The mother and her two children were shot in their family home – with two of them dying at the…
The BelTelJeffery Dudgeon on the story of the NI Gay Rights Association and his doubts about ‘queer’ activism today
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Jeffrery Dugdeon was the public face of the gay rights movement in Northern Ireland. He was a prominent figure in the campaign…
The BelTelFormer Presbyterian minister had mental breakdown after his congregation spied on him for months
A Presbyterian minister in South Belfast revealed how he suffered a mental breakdown after his congregation spied on him for months making detailed ‘Spy…
The BelTelWest Belfast mobile users left ‘dataless’ as 5G masts keep getting burned
Arsonists have destroyed 17 mobile phone masts in the greater Belfast area in the last two years. Most incidents happened in the west of the city, with west…
The BelTelAll-star Hurler DJ Carey’s €415,000 cancer fraud, Texas trips, and the Croke Park Conundrum
DJ Carey, once hailed as hurling royalty, now stands at the centre of a deception scandal that shook Ireland and reached as far as Texas. He pleaded guilty to…
The BelTelThe Open: McIlroy mania sweeps Portrush as locals slam ‘extortionate’ price hikes
The green is ready, fans are arriving, and the good and great of golf have flocked to Portrush for the open. All eyes are on Rory McIlroy after he achieved…
The BelTelWilliam McKee: Former Maze Prison Governor on the day Billy Wright was killed, Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair, and several attempts on his life
William McKee is a former governor of the Maze Prison. He was the senior Governor in charge of the Prison on the 27th December 1997 – the day that LVF…