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
Allison Morris: "PSNI failed to do even the most basic police work" in Katie Simpson murder investigation
The Police Ombudsman says the PSNI investigation into the death of Katie Simpson was “flawed and failed her family”. The 21-year-old died in hospital a week…
- The BelTel
The Newry actress, the Iraqi businessman and the multi-million-pound gangster film scam
In the making of a film ironically titled ‘A Landscape of Lies’, Newry born actress Aoife Madden was joined by a wealthy Iraqi businessman to try their hand at…
- The BelTel
EXTRA: Ex-Sinn Féin man McMonagle jailed for child sex offences
Ex-Sinn Féin press officer Michael McMonagle have been sentenced to nine months in custody for child sex offences. In one incident, he believed he was chatting…
- The BelTel
Enniskillen Bombing: "30 people involved, yet Nobody has been brought to justice”, Denzil McDaniel
The Enniskillen Bomb in November 1987 sent shockwaves across the world. An IRA bomb at a Remembrance Day service in the town killed 11 civilians, including…
- The BelTel
Trump triumphant by a landslide – how and why did he win the American people?
Donald Trump has resoundingly won the US Presidency. He is now the oldest person to win the presidency, the only convicted felon to do so, and the only won to…
- The BelTel
Loughinisland Massacre: Trevor Birney on the PSNI’s "Stasi" tactics, and his arrest
Loughinisland is a small parish in Co. Down. Its name has become synonymous with the infamous Loughinisland Massacre, when six were killed by the UVF in a pub…
- The BelTel
Alf McCreary: Journalism, a lucky break, Ian Paisley and faith
Alf McCreary walked into the Belfast Telegraph on September 1, 1964 – and asked for a job. 60 years on, he's still writing for the paper. Alf’s career has…
- The BelTel
The UVF and the savage '70s: Shankill Butchers, Gusty Spence, and the Dublin Monaghan Bombings
The UVF began the 1970s with a campaign to cleans Catholics and Catholic owned businesses from Protestant dominated areas. With the IRA’s campaign at its…
- The BelTel
BONUS: The 'Angel of Death' who terrified Irish town and captivated the world
Back in 1995, Fr Michael Kennedy took to the pulpit in Dungarvan, County Waterford to give his Sunday sermon. He warned locals that an “Angel of Death” was in…
- The BelTel
Alexander McCartney: “Nothing but a disgusting child predator”
Alexander McCartney, from Newry, is one of the most prolific paedophile ‘catfishes’ the world has seen to date. A Judge said his crimes of “sadism and…
- The BelTel
Incels exposed: “Men aren’t entitled to sex, but women aren’t owed safety”
The word ‘Incel’ is short for ‘involuntarily celibate’. They’re primarily men, who believe they’re doomed to be alone, blaming society, women, and sometimes…
- The BelTel
Ireland’s gang wars: How the Kinahans’ Belfast bound assassin ‘The Butcher’ was caught
The Kinahan cartel is Ireland’s most powerful crime gang, and one half of its most notorious gang war. After a failed hit on boss Daniel Kinahan, the cartel…
- The BelTel
Sinn Féin’s woes – self-inflicted, a media pile on, or a lack of professionalism?
Sinn Féin controversies snowball as party member resigns after a portrait is damaged in Belfast City. Is the party suffering from a media pile-on before an…
- The BelTel
Serial killer Uel ‘Cookie’ Cooke and the brutal murder of Anne-Marie Smyth
Samuel ‘Uel’ Cooke was a prolific UVF hitman. Connected to at least six murders, including the killing of IRA Chief Brendan ‘Ruby’ Davison, his most heinous…
- The BelTel
The RIC murders of the McMahon family, which changed Belfast forever
On 24th March 1922, five men dressed in RIC police uniforms broke into the north Belfast home of well-known Catholic publican Owen McMahon. The men shoot and…
- The BelTel
EXTRA - Sinn Féin: Mary Lou McDonald attempts to quell crises – did she succeed?
Mary Lou McDonald has been accused of orchestrating an “elaborate cover-up” after admitting didn’t divulge why former Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile…
- The BelTel
“What has gone wrong?”: Allison Morris on Northern Ireland’s femicide problem
In the past six weeks, four women have been killed in NI, bringing this year’s total of alleged femicides up to six. At the time of recording, a further two…
The BelTel‘Peace at last’: The story of the Loyalist ceasefires 30 years on
On the 13 October 1994, six weeks after the IRA announced a ‘complete cessation’, the Loyalist paramilitary groups declared their ceasefires. The UVF’s Gusty…
The BelTel“The Manchester Bombing was an elaborate hoax”: why do some people believe terror victims are ‘crisis actors’?
22 people died in the 2017 Manchester Bombing, and over a thousand were injured. Former TV producer Richard Hall has been in court for allegedly harassing…
- The BelTel
Suzanne Breen on Sinn Féin's McMonagle problem and Claire Hanna as she takes charge of SDLP
Michelle O’Neill faced the assembly and with the repeated use of the words “sorry” and “apologise” tried to extricate Sinn Féin from the mire of the Michael…
- The BelTel
UDA soap opera continues, Spence flees, Beachball’s back on Sandy Row and ’Ards boss fined for running a checkpoint
Former-UDA man Jim Spence, who has always denied links with the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, has sold his £275,000 house in West Belfast and fled to…
- The BelTel
Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Féin struggle with questions over how they dealt with child sex offender
Michelle O’Neill says she’s “aghast and horrified” that two Sinn Féin press officers, including their top spin doctor, gave references to a former colleague…
- The BelTel
Arlene Foster: How we almost booked her as a renewable energy expert for 10k
Former First Minister Arlene Foster has been advertising herself as a renewable energy expert at a cost of more than £10,000 a day. The Belfast Telegraph went…
- The BelTel
“Michael Collins disappeared far more people than Martin McGuinness’ comrades in the Provisional IRA”
During the Troubles, Republicans ‘disappeared’ 17 people - murdering them, and secretly burying them. But the Provisional IRA and the INLA were not the first…
The BelTel“We sold our house for this”: Cruise passengers ‘stranded’ in Belfast before 3-year long trip
A cruise ship which has been docked in Belfast for four months has been facing repeated faults, leaving 600 passengers stranded in Northern Ireland. Villa Vie…
- The BelTel
Loyalists call on DUP education minister to block integrated Irish school in east Belfast
The LCC includes representatives of the UVF, UDA and the Red Hand Commando. A political row has developed following a decision by the DUP Education Minister…
- The BelTel
"Sinn Féin need to be careful on meaningless dates for a border poll": Suzanne Breen
As NI parties hold their annual conferences, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Suzanne Breen to answer some of the big questions. How did Gavin Robinson perform at…
- The BelTel
There’s something about Eamonn (Holmes)...
NI is fascinated by Eamonn Holmes – and that’s a fact. The Belfast-born broadcaster regularly features as one of the top Google searches in the region, with…
- The BelTel
East Belfast GAA: Huge growth, hoax bombs condemned, but ‘concerns’ voiced
All unionist politicians condemn the intimidation of East Belfast GAA but some voice concerns over the GAA in general and the allocation of a local pitch to…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris reports on feud fears as ‘Óglaigh na hÉireann’ splits into two factions
‘Óglaigh na hÉireann’ means ‘young warriors of Ireland’. There are now fears that the struggle to claim the title and its history could spill over into…
The BelTelHuw Edwards avoids prison over child abuse images: Joshua Rozenberg explains why
Top former BBC Journalist Huw Edwards has avoided prison despite pleading guilty to making indecent images of children. The man who was once the BBC’s most…
- The BelTel
Loyalist Clifford McKeown released after sentence for Billy Wright ‘birthday gift’ taxi driver murder
The last Troubles era prisoner has been released, but his victim’s family question if he is fit to return to society. Clifford McKeown was serving a minimum…
- The BelTel
UDA ‘will hit back’ after North Antrim boss attacked at band parade
The UDA is promising to hit back after its North Antrim boss was attacked by rival loyalists. Marcus Boreland, who denies any links to criminality, was left…
The BelTelThe disappearance of Castlederg teen Arlene Arkinson and the search for her body
Arlene Arkinson was 15 years old the last time she was seen alive. She disappeared in August 1994 after leaving Castlederg in County Tyrone to attend a disco…
- The BelTel
Gisèle Pelicot: Grandmother drugged by husband and raped by scores of men
51 men have gone on trial in France, all accused of sexually assaulting the same woman over a 10-year period. 72-year-old Gisèle Pelicot has been subjected to…
- The BelTel
EXTRA: Donaldsons plead not guilty
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and wife Eleanor have pleaded not guilty to all charges of historical sex offences against them. The court in Newy also heard Mrs…
- The BelTel
Enoch Burke: Has ‘woke’ Ireland really jailed a Christian teacher who challenged ‘trans’ ideology?
Enoch Burke is back in Mountjoy prison after returning to the Christian Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath, despite being barred from the premises. His…
- The BelTel
Lucy Letby: Why are there growing doubts over her conviction?
Former nurse Lucy Letby is serving a whole life sentence for the murder of 7 babies and the attempted murder of 7 others. But now there are calls, including…
- The BelTel
EXTRA: Ulster Rugby sponsor Kingspan heavily criticised in Grenfell fire report
Kingspan has been heavily criticised in the final report into the Grenfell disaster. 72 people died in the 2017 blaze. The report found Kingspan and two other…
- The BelTel
Captain Robert Nairac: The IRA murder and the stories surrounding it
‘Captain Nairac’ was an exceptional but eccentric British Army officer abducted and murdered by the IRA in May 1977. He was snatched from a pub car park in…
The BelTelOasis fans’ are ripping over ‘price gouging’ - but who's to blame?
Oasis fans across the island were left angry, disappointed and waiting in digital queues of nearly three-quarters of a million people, as they tried to buy…
- The BelTel
NI's £20m Crypto scams: "He was someone I could trust"
A Tyrone man has lost over £12,000 in a cryptocurrency scam after an account claiming to be his friend roped him into what was a supposedly ‘low risk’…
The BelTel'It’s Over’: 30 years on from the IRA ‘ceasefire’
After 25 years of what it termed ‘Armed Struggle’ and the ‘Long War’ , the Provisional IRA called a “complete cessation of military operations” on 31st August…
The BelTelColum Eastwood steps down as SDLP leader and backs Claire Hanna
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood is to step down as SDLP leader. He has backed South Belfast MP Claire Hanna to take over the leadership of the party. Colum Eastwood…
- The BelTel
Sinn Féin soaring, UUP struggling, unionists and nationalists completely divided on immigration
The Belfast Telegraph’s latest LucidTalk polling took Northern Ireland’s pulse on the levels of support for the parties, immigration and funding for the…
- The BelTel
Allison Morris: Harry Holland murderer McKee had 'chance to change' but is back behind bars
West Belfast greengrocer Harry Holland was murdered in September 2007. In an attempt to steal Harry Holland’s van, then 16-year-old Stephen McKee stabbed him…
- The BelTel
The Judge's Daughter: New declassified files reveal why government ignored the convicted man's innocence
Secret papers revealed by the Belfast Telegraph suggest the civil service and government knew Iain Hay Gordon was innocent of the murder of Patricia Curran but…
The BelTelThe Murder of Patricia Curran (Pt2): Why wasn't her family investigated?
Patricia Curran’s mutilated body was discovered just 40 yards from her home at 2 o’clock in the morning on the 13th of November 1952. She was a judge’s…
The BelTelThe Murder of Patricia Curran (Pt1): How an innocent man was stitched up for it
The early hours of the morning on the 12th of November 1952, a judge’s daughter, Patricia Curran, is found dead in the garden of her family home. She had been…
- The BelTel
Doug Beattie: Sam McBride on what next for UUP after shock resignation
In a surprise move, the Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has resigned. The former army officer said he quit over ‘irreconcilable differences’ with party…
The BelTelNorthern Ireland’s ‘Murder Triangle’ (Part 3): Margaret Perry and the IRA execution of her alleged murderers
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
Puberty blockers for transgender children and Northern Ireland's potential legal loophole
The Labour government has extended a ban on puberty blockers in the UK mainland. However, Stormont's Department of Health has confirmed that puberty blockers…
- The BelTel
BelTel Sport: Can anyone stop Irish League champions Larne from winning the Gibson Cup for a third season in a row?
The new Irish League season gets underway this weekend with Tiernan Lynch’s Larne chasing their third Sports Direct Premiership title in as many years. Can…
- The BelTel
Belfast riots: Allison Morris on three nights of disorder
An anti immigration protest on Saturday afternoon has resulted in three nights of violence across South Belfast. Several businesses have been attacked…
- The BelTel
Ex-PUP deputy leader John Kyle on Gusty Spence and prospects of Irish Unity
Dr John Kyle is a former deputy leader of the PUP, the UVF’s political wing. He represented the loyalist party on Belfast City Council for 16 years. He joined…
- The BelTel
INLA accused of receiving Russian State ‘Dark Money’ amid Republican group’s ‘support’ for war in Ukraine
The INLA are suspected of receiving ‘dark money’ from the Russian State. The paramilitary group has had an upsurge in activity over the summer, being blamed…
- The BelTel
Assembly's censorship of Martin McGuinness accusation about Peter Robinson overturned... after 26 years
Hearing what our politicians have to say is a crucial part of democracy. But back in 1998, The Assembly censored words spoken by Martin McGuinness to Deputy…
- The BelTel
The birth of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and why they disappeared after the Easter Rising
The 1916 Easter Rising was organised by a tiny group of conspirators. They were the Military Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood - a small, oath bound…
The BelTel2024 Olympics: As the games begin, who are the NI athletes going for gold?
The 2024 Olympics have officially started, but it's been 36 years since a Northern Irish athlete brought a gold medal home. The long wait for an Olympic…
- The BelTel
The Kew Files: Sam McBride unveils Secret memos on NI Secretary of State's IRA Intelligence Concerns
Sir Patrick Mayhew was Northern Ireland’s secretary of state between 1992 and 1997, a time when the peace process was just beginning, and the Troubles were…