In 1960s Ireland, the showband scene was a massive cultural phenomenon. Ballrooms filled up night after night across the country, and at its heart was The Miami Showband, who were so beloved they were dubbed ‘The Irish Beatles’. But on July 31, 1975, everything changed. After a gig in Banbridge, Co Down, five members were stopped at what seemed a routine army checkpoint - some of the soldiers were real members of the British military, but all were members of the UVF. What followed left the showband world shattered and survivors forever scarred by an act of unimaginable violence. 

Host: Tessa Fleming Guests: Liam Collins and Des Lee. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talk of loyalist paramilitaries disbanding is now generally seen as extremely unlikely. Cynicism abounds as to whether these armed groups will ever ‘transition’ into peaceful organisations – and of course whether they really can abandon rampant and lucrative criminality. But there does seem to have been some movement in a very unlikely place, the South-East Antrim UDA. 

The Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent Allison Morris joins Ciarán Dunbar.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three members of a family have been murdered in Maguiresbridge. The mother and her two children were shot in their family home – with two of them dying at the scene – another in hospital. Another person – a man – was seriously injured and is currently in hospital in Belfast. The PSNI say a so-called ‘murder-suicide’ is one line of inquiry and that it is “not anticipated at this stage that any further arrests will be made”. 

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter – Abdullah Sabri.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Jeffrery Dugdeon was the public face of the gay rights movement in Northern Ireland. He was a prominent figure in the campaign again laws targeting homosexuals – a campaign which endured a vicious backlash in the shape of Ian Paisley’s ‘Save Ulster from sodomy’ group. His victory in the campaign for decriminalisation has now been beautifully told in a short film from the BBC called ‘Outlasting’. The piece was directed by Lewis Doherty. 

Mr Lewis and Mr Dudgeon joined Ciarán Dunbar on the BelTel. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Presbyterian minister in South Belfast revealed how he suffered a mental breakdown after his congregation spied on him for months making detailed ‘Spy Charts’ on his every movement. The covert surveillance all stemming from whether or not he was living in the church manse. After the church’s own investigation found no charges against the minister he was then removed from the church as ' his position was untenable because of the breakdown in relationships'.

It's the latest in a series of controversies involving the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, covered by the Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph. Guest Angela Davison joins Ciaran Dunbar.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsonists have destroyed 17 mobile phone masts in the greater Belfast area in the last two years. Most incidents happened in the west of the city, with west Belfast Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey saying the attacks are “fuelled by inaccuracies and misconceptions”. At the end of last month, attacks appeared to spread beyond west Belfast as another mast was set alight on the Doagh Road in Newtownabbey. 

Why are the masts being attacked and who is behind them? 

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph Visuals Editor Kevin Scott. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DJ Carey, once hailed as hurling royalty, now stands at the centre of a deception scandal that shook Ireland and reached as far as Texas. He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of deception after an alleged cancer diagnosis helped him extract over €400,000 by duping generous friends and even tapping into wealthy circles in Texas during trips to Dallas – all the time he was chasing aid he didn’t need. 

Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Amy Molloy and Colm Keys. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The green is ready, fans are arriving, and the good and great of golf have flocked to Portrush for the open. All eyes are on Rory McIlroy after he achieved golfing immortality in the form of the career grand slam in April. As over 250,000 international fans pour into Portrush, locals have slammed food and accommodation price hikes, including one local spot charging almost £27 for fish and chips. 

Olivia Peden is joined from Royal Portrush by Belfast Telegraph’s chief sportswriter Steven Beacom and Sport Journalist Adam McKendry to look ahead to what the open holds. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

William McKee is a former governor of the Maze Prison. He was the senior Governor in charge of the Prison on the 27th December 1997 – the day that LVF Godfather Billy Wright was murdered inside the prison wall. McKee has faced multiple murder attempts and had to relocate houses several times due to his career. His new book 'Collusion: Inside the Maze' is describde as a fictional exploration of the events surrounding Wright's murder.

He joined Ciarán Dunbar to talk about what working on the day of Wright’s murder was like, his relationships with paramilitary prisoners, and the multiple attempts on his life as a result on his career. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Twelfth of July is a day of joy, pride, and nostalgia for Unionists and Loyalists in Northern Ireland. The night before, bonfires will be lit across the country - a tradition that began when fires on hillsides were used to signal William of Orange’s march from Carrickfergus to the Battle of the Boyne. But a night of tradition and celebration for some is viewed by others as physically dangerous, and in some cases, undeniably sectarian. 

Are bonfires a sectarian safety risk, or just a harmless tradition? 

Olivia Peden is joined by Sam McBride, Loyalist activist Moore Holmes, and the chairman of the Schomberg Ulster Scots society in Kilkeel, Gareth Crozier. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.