The BelTel by Belfast Telegraph

05.16.2024

Jonathan Creswell, the murder of Katie Simpson and the three-woman cover-up

Jonathan Creswell was a showjumper, philanderer, abuser, and eventually, a murderer. He murdered a young woman, Katie Simpson, claiming she took her own life. The PSNI initially believed him, despite his previous criminal record, which included assaulting his ex-partner and threatening to...

05.15.2024

Arlene Foster 'roasted' as she's accused of deflecting questions in tetchy day at Covid Inquiry

Arlene Foster has been accused of deflecting questions at the Covid Inquiry. The former first minister was grilled about her role during the pandemic. In questioning by barrister Clair Dobbin, Mrs Foster said she has “deep regret” over the executive’s...

05.14.2024

Michelle O’Neill left 'flapping' under Covid cross-examination , Sam McBride reports

First Minister Michelle O'Neill has apologised for attending the funeral of IRA leader Bobby Storey at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. She had long said she would never apologise for being at the funeral. Sam McBride reports. Hosted...

05.12.2024

Allison Morris: PSNI accused of ‘Stasi’ tactics over keeping tabs on ‘troublemaker’ journalists

The PSNI had journalists they considered “troublemakers” under surveillance. It’s led to the force being accused of acting like the Stasi. But who was being spied on? Why and how? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent, Allison Morris and solicitor...

05.09.2024

Sam McBride: Covid Inquiry reveals Stormont’s ‘rotten system’

The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event all over the world. NI Officials and ministers are now under scrutiny as they appear before the Covid-19 Inquiry to account for the decisions they made. The Belfast Telegraph’s Sam McBride is following...

05.07.2024

South Armagh IRA: Inside Northern Ireland’s ‘Bandit Country’

During the troubles, South Armagh became known as ‘Bandit Country’ - a heartland of paramilitary activity. The Provisional IRA’s notorious south Armagh brigade took the lives of hundreds of people, including British soldiers, RUC officers and civillians, whilst being widely accused of...

05.06.2024

Lordship: The murder of Adrian Donohoe and the runaway Co. Armagh suspect - part two

After the murder of Adrian Donohoe, the main suspect Aaron Brady boarded a one-way flight to America. He had no intention of ever returning to Ireland. His departure instigated an international police investigation that would span multiple years, resulting in...

05.05.2024

Lordship: The murder of Adrian Donohoe and the runaway Co. Armagh suspect – Part One

What goes in to catching a garda killer? In January 2013, Detectives Joe Ryan and Adrian Donohoe from Dundalk garda station were tasked with escorting credit union takings across Cooley Peninsula, on the border with Northern Ireland. The men were ambushed...

05.04.2024

EXTRA: The extraordinary life of Stephen Grimason, the journalist and top Stormont Spin doctor who broke news of Good Friday Agreement

Stephen Grimason was the journalist who waved the Belfast Agreement on our television screens with the iconic quote: “I have it in my hand”. The former BBC political editor Stephen Grimson later became the head of Stormont’s press operations. He...

05.02.2024

BelTel Sport: Linfield and Cliftonville set to face off in tense Irish Cup Final

This Saturday's Irish Cup Final sees Cliftonville play Linfield at a sold-out Windsor Park. It’s set to be one of the most eagerly anticipated cup finals in a generation, however, safety concerns from both teams have led to a security...

04.30.2024

Sunningdale and the Ulster Workers Strike (Part Three): Who really won?

Loyalism stood triumphant. The Ulster Workers Strike succeeded. It brought down the Sunningdale executive, the council of Ireland binned, power-sharing shelved . It seemed like total victory. But was it? In the final part of a three-part series, Ciarán Dunbar looks...

04.29.2024

Sunningdale and the Ulster Workers Strike (Part Two): The loyalist ‘revolt’

Northern Ireland had never seen the like of the Ulster Workers Strike – a rebellion against the state – by loyalists. The strikers wanted an end to the Sunningdale power-sharing executive and everything that went with it. It was mostly peaceful...

04.28.2024

Sunningdale and the Ulster Workers Strike: The forgotten power-sharing ‘experiment’

In 1973 the ‘Sunningdale Agreement’ established power-sharing in Northern Ireland, preceding the Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement by 25 years. It even had an All-Ireland dimension. But it met with a backlash and was brought down by the Ulster...

04.25.2024

Warrenpoint-based Michael O’Loughlin breaks gangster code by admitting crimes

Michael O’Loughlin was arrested in Co Down in 2020 as part of a Europe-wide crackdown on organised crime. He was one of the first criminals arrested in the Encrochat hacking scandal. But why is the career criminal now pleading guilty...

04.24.2024

Jeffrey Donaldson in court over historical sex offences

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson have appeared at Newry Magistrates Court to face historical sex charges. He was escorted into the court by the PSNI amid chaotic scenes. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter...

04.23.2024

Col Tim Collins ruffles Alliance feathers, Irish signs ‘traumatise’

Andrew Madden and Ursula Savage join Ciarán Dunbar to discuss the week in politics. Colonel Tim Collins has been in the news after branding the Alliance Party ‘pro-nationalist'. The former soldier will be standing for the UUP in North Down in...

04.21.2024

Newtownards Falklands and Troubles veteran on the reality of war

Graham Eve boasts a military career which spanned over 8000 miles. A member of the 2nd Parachute Regiment in NI he witnessed 16 of their men being killed in the Warrenpoint ambush in 1979. His service later carried him to...

04.18.2024

Michael Stone: The life and crimes of the notorious loyalist gunman

Michael Stone is one of the most notorious gunmen of the Troubles. Known in loyalist circles as a gun for hire, he murdered 3 people at an IRA funeral in Milltown Cemetery, west Belfast. Following his release from prison in...

04.16.2024

Suzanne Breen on Jeffrey Donaldson’s potential replacement in Lagan Valley

The arrest of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson at the end of last month came as a shock to those in the party and beyond. Although he is now an independent MP, questions now have to be answering about who...

04.15.2024

Middle East on the brink after Iran's unprecedented revenge attack on Israel

As the death toll in Gaza reaches 35,000, there has been a dangerous spike in tensions across the Middle East. In a serious escalation of the crisis in the region, Iran made its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil...

04.14.2024

The Kew Files: Sam McBride on the secret papers on Peter Robinson, Ulster Resistance and Emma Little-Pengelly's father

The Kew Files have revealed some of Northern Ireland's hidden secrets on unionism and loyalism. In part 2 of a 2-part special of the BelTel, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride to discuss the Kew Files and what they...

04.11.2024

The Kew Files: Sam McBride and the secret files on Martin McGuinness, the IRA and SDLP

Thousands of declassified files on Northern Ireland and the troubles have been deposited, not in Belfast, but in the Kew Archives in London. In part 1 of a 2-part special of the BelTel, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride...

04.09.2024

A United Ireland: Inevitable or a fantasy?

Nationalists continue to campaign for planning a united Ireland, but Unionists seem assured it’s a pipe dream – where does the truth lie – or is it impossible to say? Is a United Ireland a realistic prospect or pure fantasy,...

04.07.2024

Gerard ‘Hucker’ Moyna: From killing Lenny Murphy for the IRA to IPLO feuds

Prolific republican gunman Gerard ‘Hucker’ Moyna has died aged 69. He has been linked to several murders – including that of Shankill Butcher Lenny Murphy. He was also believed to be involved in the killing of solicitor and unionist politician,...

04.04.2024

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, tracking the IRA’s Hyde Park bomber with a bluffed phone call and being arrested on suspicion of...

04.02.2024

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, while his wife Eleanor Donaldson has been charged with aiding and abetting. With a general election...

03.31.2024

Best of the BelTel: James Mitchell, the Butcher of Glenanne

Mitchell’s farm was the base of the ‘Glenanne Gang’, a mix of loyalist paramilitaries and rogue members of the security forces. The ‘Glenanne Gang’ were responsible for up 120 murders including the Dublin Monaghan bombings, the Miami Showband massacre, and...

03.29.2024

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 explains the implications of this political earthquake to Ciarán Dunbar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

03.29.2024

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. Controversially, he also maintains former IRA leader Martin McGuinness was compromised, even claiming he protected Scappaticci. He...

03.27.2024

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 from both the right and the left, we ask what it might...

03.25.2024

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 injuries. Thomas Purcell, who claimed to be 16 at the...

03.23.2024

Pat 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 Hume. His new book, ‘War, Peace and the Derry Journal’ chronicles Derry’s devastation during...

03.22.2024

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 McCauley’s long litany of convictions have established him as one of Ireland’s most dangerous criminals for over 30 years....

03.20.2024

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 pressure from the left to boycott the visit, due to US...

03.19.2024

Millionaire 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, only to rebel against her wealthy upbringing and become an expert bomb-maker...

03.18.2024

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 “white flag”. How bad are things for Ukraine, what would Russia’s peace terms be,...

03.17.2024

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 “third generation” of the notorious urban guerrilla Red Army Faction (RAF)...

03.15.2024

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 Troubles and subsequent peace process. The veteran journalist discusses his memoir with Ciarán Dunbar. ...

03.13.2024

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 now strongly unionist – would he rule out a border poll? ...

03.11.2024

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 killings, carried out by a single man, who finally took his own life. Craig...

03.09.2024

Oscar 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 biggest night isn’t always without controversy and scandal. From violence to nudity and political protests, we look...

03.08.2024

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 groups and radical feminists alike, who believe that the trade...

03.06.2024

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 Alliance fundamentally changed and will it be forced off the constitutional...

03.04.2024

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 many copy-cat raids. But after robbing an ATM machine beside...

03.01.2024

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, including two children in Fermanagh in 2018. The Gossetts were a reclusive – constantly on the move to...

02.29.2024

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 dead in May 1994. Mr Justice O'Hara said it could...

02.27.2024

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 Stormont row brews over the rising costs. Sinn Féin place major...

02.26.2024

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, well-liked, successful man in public.But he was also a violent wifebeater and...

02.24.2024

Conor 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 ace has taken the Premier League by storm in recent weeks, with his surging runs down...

02.23.2024

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 Belfast have caused anger, scandal and even fury in some communities - but for many others it's...

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