The BelTel

Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair was on the top of his game.He was feared by nationalists and ruled the Shankill.Then he lost it all and was forced to flee in the night by his former comrades. The Sunday Life’s Ciaran Barnes tells the story of how Adair lost his power and was banished from Belfast.This podcast was originally published in October 2022.

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Johnny Adair once ruled Belfast's Lower Shankill. The UDA commander struck fear into the hearts of nationalists and his loyalist rivals, as he intended.Known as 'Mad Dog', his activities were no secret, he revelled in his status as a hardman and celebrity paramilitary enforcer - but how did he get that power and status?The Sunday Life’s Ciaran Barnes tells the story of how Adair rose to power.This podcast was originally published in October 2022.

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Freddie Scappaticci, the informer known as Stakeknife, has died.He was double agent at the heart of the IRA, the man in charge of executing informers was working for the British. Who was he, why did he turn and who was he really working for?Allison Morris talks to Ciarán Dunbar.This podcast was originally published in July 2022.

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The Belfast Agreement left many questions unanswered, many problems unsolved and many points of disagreement.  Can those problems be solved without coming to a common understanding of what happened before that, the problem which the agreement set out to solve?  Dr Brian Lambkin joins Ciarán Dunbar to drill down into the agreement and what it really means.

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After a generation of bloodshed and division, Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement marked a new era in British Irish politics. But has it succeeded in its mission and is it even still relevant? The BelTel finds out. Host: Ciarán Dunbar. Guests: David McCann, Sarah Creighton and Andrew Madden.

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Stephen Grimason was the journalist who waved the Belfast Agreement on our television screens with the iconic quote: “I have it in my hand”.  Sam McBride sits down with former BBC political editor Stephen Grimson who later went from poacher to game keeper and headed up Stormont’s press operation. Stephen was optimistic when he left journalism to sell Northern Ireland’s new era to the public. But it was far harder than he thought. 

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Controversial Christian Enoch Burke has alleged an Irish judge laughed, mocked and ridiculed him after he sought to raise concerns over the disclosure of documents to him by his former employer. The trial has concluded. Host: Siobhán Maguire. Guest: Shane Phelan.

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War continues in Ukraine at a huge cost in human life.  Russia continues to assault Ukrainian lines in the Donbas but with western tanks being supplied to the Ukrainians military observers expect a counter offensive. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have declared a ‘new era’ of friendship, but some commentators believe China is the real winner here.  Dr Alexander Titov is a history lecturer - he joins Ciarán Dunbar to discuss the latest developments. 

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It remains one of the most gruesome and grotesque crimes in Ireland – a man murdered by his girlfriend’s daughters and carved into pieces. The Indo Daily hears more about Farah Noor's death at the hands of Linda and Charlotte Mulhall. Host: Siobhán Maguire. Guest: Eugene Masterson

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The secret security service MI5 raises terror threat to “severe” just before US president Biden visit to Northern Ireland - It means an attack is highly likely.   It comes after a senior police officer suffered life-changing injuries after being shot by the New IRA. Host: Ciarán Dunbar. Quest: Belfast Telegraph security correspondent, Allison Morris. 

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