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 BelTelFlights from hell: Do we need to clamp down on alcohol at 30,000ft?
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary wants a two-drink airport limit as his airline threatens a clampdown as it tries to recover losses against disruptive passengers…
The BelTelPortadown teacher Niamh Farrell denies being ‘GAA catfish’ as she wins an injunction against Dublin school
Dublin secondary school Coláiste Éanna has been embroiled in controversy after it was claimed online that one of its teachers is the notorious GAA catfish…
The BelTelHow Basil McCrea's career and party ended in utter chaos | NI21 (Part 2) - the downfall
NI21 appeared to many as a great idea. But the enthusiasm and positivity did not last long and the party’s collapse into chaos was a spectacular one. Just a…
The BelTelHow two UUP MLAs broke away to find a new 'confident' path for unionism | NI21 (Part 1) - the rise
NI21 – A party that sought to change the direction of a century of unionist politics but ended in disaster. Two charismatic Ulster Unionist MLAs – Basil Mccrea…
The BelTelRosemary Nelson: RUC ‘threats’, Red Hand Defenders and alleged collusion, the murder of a Lurgan solicitor
Rosemary Nelson died in March 1999 after a bomb exploded under her car. The Red Hand Defenders took responsibility. High-profile clients like IRA man Colin…
The BelTelOn-the-run Magilligan prisoner before courts in Rhode Island after alleged $800,000 scam
An unlawfully at large Magilligan Prisoner with four names is to face a court in Rhode Island. Timothy O’Reilly, also known as Elijah Gavin, Timothy Kelly, or…
- The BelTel
Gerard Conway inquest: 32-year-old disappeared in 2007 – witnesses testimony weaves a complex story
Gerard Conway was last seen in Cookstown in 2007. The 32-year-old father-of-one was recorded on CCTV at a bank in the town on the 25th of January. He was…
- The BelTel
PSNI Chief Con denies intrusive surveillance on journalist investigating Noah Donohoe death, Sam McBride reports
The PSNI have broken its silence on claims that it spied on journalist Donal MacIntyre, who is investing the death of teenager Noah Donohoe. The Chief…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris on the New IRA’s potential ceasefire after secret peace talks
The New IRA is in secret peace negations with the British and Irish governments. But the group’s leadership, who were previously arrested in an MI5 sting, is…
- The BelTel
Noah Donohoe: PSNI accused of spying on journalist investigating teen’s death
The tragic and highly unusual nature of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe’s death in 2020, along with criticism of the police search for him, had led to substantial…
The BelTelMartin Dillon: “There’s no evidence for the ‘Say Nothing’ ending” and Mairead Farrell was "addicted to romantic nationalism"
Journalist Martin Dillon disputes the ending of the ‘Say Nothing’ tv show depicting the murder of Jean McConville. In his new book ‘The Sorrow and the Loss…
The BelTelAlliance: From liberal Unionism, to the agnostic ‘middle ground’
Alliance was founded in 1970. Originally a strongly pro-union party before becoming agnostic on the border. 55 years later the party still exists and still…
- The BelTel
Suzanne Breen: Irish unity, Sinn Féin’s White House dilemma and MLA pay rises
Suzanne Breen joins Ciarán Dunbar to go through the Belfast Telegraph’s latest LucidTalk polling, including the narrowing gap between support for the union and…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris on attempted murder of Sean O’Reilly as ONH feud boils over
There are fears of further bloodshed after an attempt on the life of a dissident republican in west Belfast. Taxi driver Sean O’Reilly was shot in the shoulder…
- The BelTel
William Hampton: The eccentric English millionaire who left his wealth to Sinn Féin
William Hampton was a nomadic millionaire famously described by Leo Varadkar “a vagabond who lived in a caravan”. Hampton left most of his fortune to Sinn…
- The BelTel
‘King Con’: Belfast conman Cartmill who scammed Stephen Nolan and Eamonn Holmes faces jail
Celebrity conman Jay Cartmill is facing prison after pleading guilty to 46 new fraud charges, taking his total number of criminal convictions to more than 200…
- The BelTel
The IRA’s La Mon Bombing and the victims’ quest for justice
Twelve people died when the IRA fired bombed the La Mons House hotel on the 17 February 1978. Scores were injured, some horrifically. The Provisional IRA…
- The BelTel
The Official IRA’s ‘training’ trip 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 BelTel
Allison Morris: The origins of the PSNI and the challenge of recruiting Catholics
23 years after its emergence, the PSNI is still less than one third Catholic and the numbers attempting to join are according to the Chief Constable "below…
- The BelTel
Ciaran Barnes: Why UDA shot pensioner after Bulgarian brothel raid in Coleraine
A Coleraine pensioner, who uses a mobility scooter, was shot five times in the arms and legs by the UDA. But what possible excuse would the loyalist…
- The BelTel
Top Belfast school Methody apologises after rugby hazing leaves boy ‘traumatised’
Methodist College Belfast’s insurers have been stung for £50,000 after a Carryduff boy sued over hazing at rugby camp. The boy was allegedly forced to strip…
- The BelTel
How I caught the catfish who took my identity
It all began in December, when an ex-girlfriend of Irish independent journalist John Meagher sent him screenshots of a fake dating-app profile using a photo of…
- The BelTel
“The starting point is to is to name people”: Sam McBride talks to legacy chief Sir Declan Morgan
Sir Declan Morgan was formerly Northern Ireland’s most senior judge. The Londonderry man now heads the Legacy Commission. He describes the role not only as one…
- The BelTel
Why was Big Brother's Seany O’Kane turned back from Moscow?
Former Big Brother contestant Seány O’Kane has been denied entry to Russia. O’Kane’s the owner of a popular Telegram platform for foreigners in Russia named…
The BelTelThe murder of Robert McCartney, the IRA cover-up, and his sisters’ fight for justice
Robert McCartney was murdered by members of the IRA 20 years ago, in January 2005. He died after being stabbed in the street outside a bar in Belfast, near the…
- The BelTel
‘Operation Torpedo’: Allison Morris reveals new details on Bryson’s mole and the plotters inside the DUP
In January 2024, opponents of the then DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, and the deal he struck with the government over post-Brexit arrangements put together a…
- The BelTel
Rev Harold Good: Decommissioning IRA weapons, secret talks and Martin McGuinness
The Rev Harold Good witnessed the IRA decommissioning their arsenal of weapons. He facilitated secret talks at vital points during the Peace Process. In his…
- The BelTel
The 'GAA Catfish': "She would have needed at least 25 different phone numbers to pull this off"
A woman dubbed ‘The GAA catfish’ is now the subject of an official police probe after the PSNI received a complaint alleging harassment. The infamous catfish…
- The BelTel
SAS: Rogue Heroes - Should ‘Paddy’ Mayne get the Victoria Cross and yet another terrible NI accent
Newtownards man Paddy Mayne was an unconventional soldier – a founder member of the SAS. He is one of the central characters in the BBC’s hit war drama, SAS…
- The BelTel
Sorcha Eastwood takes on Andrew and Tristan Tate
Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood to start legal action against the Tate brothers over social media posts aimed at her. Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are…
- The BelTel
The IRA’s infamous escape from Belfast’s prison ship, the HMS Maidstone
HMS Maidstone, an ex-Royal Navy Ship, was used in the early 1970s to hold internees. In January 1972, a group of IRA prisoners swam 270 meters through an…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris: John George’s return flight from Alicante was “booked after he was dead”
Twenty-four days after John George was reported missing in Spain, a body was found. The father-of-two from west Belfast had travelled to Alicante in…
- The BelTel
Jarlath Burns and Rory Gallagher row: Does the GAA have a problem with double standards?
A fierce clash between GAA president Jarlath Burns and former Derry manager Rory Gallagher has led to the threat of legal action and a split in public opinion…
- The BelTel
Revealed: Sam McBride on secret unionist unity talks between DUP and UUP
Unionist unity is an idea often proposed but has never seemed to progress. But now, The Belfast Telegraph can reveal secret DUP-UUP unity talks were held 18…
- The BelTel
Sam McBride: Files revealed on Ian Paisley, DUP’s sex education panic and the plans to dam Strangford Lough
This Christmas the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland made available papers which were previously classified. Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar to reveal…
- The BelTel
What Dublin’s secret files reveal about NI, Trimble, Bruton, JFK and Casement
Unionists fiercely resist calls for a border poll for on a United Ireland, but that was not always the case. David Trimble campaigned for a poll in 2002 –…
- The BelTel
Lion tamer, street-fighter and 'sectarian murderer': The life and crimes of Buck Alec Robinson
For most people, the legendary Belfast character of Buck Alec will ring a bell. Infamous for his pet lion and street-fighting career, he was even rumoured to…
- The BelTel
2024: The year of political scandals, returns and bizarre plot twists
2024 brought political returns, countless scandals, and that one girls night at the Devenish which shocked Northern Ireland. To reminisce on this year’s…
The BelTelBelfast: Rosaleen O’Kane and the murder the RUC didn't investigate
Rosaleen O’Kane was found in a burning flat in north Belfast in 1976, her body stripped and set on fire. Rosaleen was 33 years old. Why did the RUC not…
The BelTelBelfast: The Falls Road Curfew - the raid on the Official IRA which turned west Belfast against British Army
On the 3rd of July 1970 the British Army sealed off the lower Falls. A ‘curfew’ is announced. Troops go in, searching for IRA weapons. But the use of CS gas…
The BelTelBelfast: Bloody Friday – What impact did the IRA’s Blitz have?
The 21st of July 1972 was the most prolific day of IRA bombings during the Troubles. Nine people were killed and 130 injured as a blitz of 22 bombs detonated…
- The BelTel
Sam McBride: The IRA’s Northern Bank Robbery and how it almost shattered the peace process
The infamous Northern Bank heist shook the peace process to its core with suspicion immediately falling on the Provisional IRA. The Northern Bank was forced to…
- The BelTel
BelTel Football: NI star Gareth McAuley reveals all about his incredible career
The BelTel Football panel discuss Linfield star Joel Cooper’s shock Coleraine switch, Larne’s managerial crisis as Nathan Rooney steps down and Northern…
- The BelTel
‘Say Nothing’: The ‘Disappeared’ of Andersonstown, John McClory and Brian McKinney
Sunday World Assistant Editor Gerry Millar spent the early years of his career investigating the mystery of those who were ‘disappeared’ by the IRA, having…
- The BelTel
40 years of Band Aid: Christmas, charity and controversy
When the BBC aired journalist Michael Buerk's harrowing reports of Ethiopian famine in 1984, few could have imagined the surprising and enduring legacy they…
- The BelTel
Left, right, populism and woke – why are the working classes not voting socialist?
We use them every day, but do the terms left and right really describe our politics today. What is ‘woke’ and why do people hate it? And socialists struggle…
- The BelTel
Don Anderson: The NI journalist who escaped fall of Saigon as airport burned tells the story of reporting Vietnam
Don Anderson was one of the BBC’s TV reporters in Saigon during the final days of the Vietnam War. He joins Ciarán Dunbar to tell his incredible story of his…
- The BelTel
‘Peace’ game is up for UVF chief Winston “Winkie” Irvine as he finally admits gun charges
UVF chief Winston “Winkie” Irvine is facing jail time after pleading guilty to firearms charges. It means the well-known loyalist Irvine’s dual-career has a…
- The BelTel
'Revolutionary Years' : 1913 to 1923, 10 years which changed Ireland
In 1913, Ireland, the whole of Ireland, was an integrated and peaceful part of the UK – albeit one with a strong home rule movement and a strong counter-home…
- The BelTel
MasterChef's Gregg Wallace: What is being alleged?
What are the allegations being made against Gregg Wallace that have led to him stepping down as host of the BBC’s flagship show MasterChef and doe sit mean for…
- The BelTel
‘Mr-Fix-it': Newry's Rory Trainor facing jail for EncroChat money laundering, Ciaran Barnes reports
Newry millionaire money launderer ‘Mr-Fix-it' is now facing lengthy jail time. Rory Trainor was snared following a Europe-wide investigation into the EncroChat…
- The BelTel
The chicken farmer, the ‘Triads’ , and the cannabis in the shed, Sam McBride reports
When Sam McBride went investigating a massive cannabis operation in Hillsborough he was confronted by an angry poultry farmer, Clive Weir. Not only did Weir…
- The BelTel
Ian Ogle: Ciaran Barnes on the murder that rocked the East Belfast UVF
Loyalist Ian Ogle was murdered just yards from his east Belfast home in an attack compared to an attack from a “pack of hyenas”. Five people have now been…
- The BelTel
'Notorious' - Conor McGregor’s career and legacy is in freefall – what next?
One week on from the verdict in Nikita Hand’s civil rape case against Conor McGregor, the Irish MMA fighter’s career is in freefall. Since last Friday…
- The BelTel
Joe Lynskey: The monk who joined the IRA and was 'disappeared' by it over trying to kill his love rival
Remains exhumed from a grave in County Monaghan are being DNA tested to determine whether they include those of Joe Lynskey. One of the ‘disappeared’, the…
- The BelTel
Double Cross: The Ardoyne murder of Robbie Lawlor, and the brutal feud that led to his death
“Ruthless. Psychopath. Dangerous.” These are just some of the words used to describe Robbie Lawlor, a formerly leading figure in the notorious Drogheda feud…
- The BelTel
Boxing stars Barry McGuigan, Carl Frampton and the £6 million lawsuit
Under boxing legend Barry McGuigan’s guidance Carl Frampton won world titles in 2014 and 2016. However, their relationship fell apart in a legal battle over…
- The BelTel
‘Ulster-Scot Hillbilly’ JD Vance is ‘one heartbeat away from the presidency’ - who is he?
Incoming US Vice President JD Vance is a self-professed ‘Scots-Irish Hillbilly’. He first made waves in US politics with his best selling memoir ‘Hillbilly…
- The BelTel
The LVF murder of journalist Martin O’Hagan 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 BelTel
Suzanne Breen: NI split over DUP meetings with LCC, O’Neill suffers from McMonagle fall-out but Sinn Féin’s support solid
The Belfast Telegraph’s political editor Suzanne Breen joins Ciarán Dunbar with her analysis of Belfast Telegraph’s LucidTalk polling, including a recent dip…