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 it can operate but the lawyers say they have been left with no option.  

Justice Minister Naomi Long says the strike is unnecessary and will have a "devastating impact on the justice system, particularly for victims".  

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by criminal defence barristers, Michael Forde and Aoife Macauley, who put forward their case.

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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, and we’re going to have an Irish Trump”. Making it clear that some elements of the alt-right movement have set their sights on Ireland.

Bannon’s statement begs a number of questions, such as how exactly would he and other MAGA influencers pull this off? 

Tabitha Monahan is joined by Declan Lynch and Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc.

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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 says the US will now control Venezuela’s natural resources for its own benefit. Now the White house is considering seizing Greenland by force leaving Europe in a very awkward place.    

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Danish journalist Tom Carstensen and by former journalist and RAF reservist Michael Cairns to discuss the impact on Europe. 

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UK government policy says it does talk to terrorists - but it was directly meeting loyalist ‘brigadiers’ - newly declassified files reveal. Revelations revealed in this year’s batch of files include that whilst the Government claimed not be talking to terrorists, they were happy to meet the UDA’s leadership in their capacity as so-called 'brigadiers’, how continuing IRA activity held back the peace process and who the DUP wanted to become a Lord.  

Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar.

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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 says much of his politics has been shaped by his close relationship with Nigel and Dianne Dodds, who he calls his ‘political mum and dad’. Philip Brett’s family life was torn asunder when his 19-year-old brother Gavin was murdered by the UDA in 2001 – he says he wants justice for his mum.  

In an exclusive interview with The BelTel podcast, the MLA joined Ciarán Dunbar in the studio to talk politics, ambition and the work involved in being an MLA.

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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 25-year-old Robert McGladdery, known locally for his predatorial behaviour. Less than a year later, McGladdery is the last man to be hanged on the island of Ireland.

Historian Joe Baker and Charlie McSherry, a neighbour of Pearl Gamble, join Ciarán Dunbar to tell the story of her vicious murder. 

This podcast was first broadcast in February 2024.

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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 LVF in Lurgan on 28th of September 2001. No-one has ever been convicted of the killing. The National Union of Journalists wants an independent inquiry into the killing and the subsequent investigation into it. 

Ciarán Dunbar is by joined by Anton McCabe, Seamus Dooley, and by Jim McDowell, Martin O’Hagan’s editor at the Sunday World.

This episode was first broadcast in November 2024.

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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 1988, six members of the Official IRA made their way to North Korea to receive state of the art training – some were expelled from the country after a drunken brawl. The unusual alliance came as secretary general of the Irish Workers Party, Sean Garland, allegedly laundered millions of fake dollars for the Kim dynasty. 

Olivia Peden is joined by journalist and author John Sweeney, who has visited the strange nation.

This podcast was originally published in February 2025.

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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 hands on the green jacket, Lewis Crocker upset the odds to win the IBF Welterweight World title at Windsor Park, and Northern Ireland won its first ever World Cup... as Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney took home the glory of the 2025 PDC world cup. 

To count down Northern Ireland’s top 15 Sporting Moments of 2025, Keith Bailie is joined by Belfast Telegraph chief sportswriter Steven Beacom and reporter Niamh Campbell. 

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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 what the courts would say as the law eventually caught up with him.

Host: Kevin Doyle.              

Guests: Noel Tynan, Amy Molloy, Niamh Horan and Colm Keys

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