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The BelTel

Belfast Telegraph

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.

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

55 episodes
daily
Avg 28 min
English

Episodes 55

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Tuesday · 35 min
Drumcree: Suzanne Breen on how the impact Garvaghy dispute is having on politics
The stand-off between the Drumcree Orange men and the Garvaghy residents continues. In Belfast on Monday – a court reserved judgment on the residents’ renewed application to stop the march. The march – and the protest has sharply divided our politicians. Some fear real damage is being done to community relations. And in other news the SDLP in Armagh has seen fit to dump its siting MLA – Justin McNulty – why? Ciarán Dunbar joined by our political editor, Suzanne Breen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sunday · 21 min
Donaldson still in Maghaberry hospital as old home goes up for sale
He was once known as the Right Honourable Sir Jeffrey Donaldson but is now known as inmate number E5032. Donaldson once proudly walked the corridors of Westminster, ate in fancy restaurants, and commanded media attention. But now he spends his days behind bars in Maghaberry, reading, doing jigsaws and doing art. The home in Dromore, in which he lived in with wife Eleanor, who was found to have aided and abetting child sexual abuse, has appeared on the market for a modest £650,000. Donaldson was convicted of 18 charges concerning child sexual abuse in June. Prosecution lawyers want him to serve at least ten years in prison. To talk about Donaldson’s new life, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast. Telegraph’s Kurtis Reid Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Saturday · 22 min
‘They’ve got Marty’: the unsolved murder of Sunday World journalist Martin O’Hagan
A fearless investigative reporter who exposed the criminal underworld behind Northern Ireland’s paramilitaries, O’Hagan had made dangerous enemies on both sides, but no one has ever been convicted of his murder. Joining Fionnán Sheehan is Sunday World Northern editor Richard Sullivan and Irish Independent special correspondent Paul Williams, as they remember their friend and colleague and examine why, 25 years on, his killing remains unsolved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
October 1 · 30 min
Drumcree: No deal over Garvaghy march, £3m spent so far, O'Neill defiant
The standoff between the Orangemen on Drumcree and the residents of the Garvaghy Road continues in Portadown. Negotiations involving the Secretary of State Chris Bryant, the Orange Order and Garvaghy Road residents have so far failed to reach an agreement. Garvaghy Road residents' spokesman Breandán Mac Cionnaith, confirmed on Wednesday that there was a document on the table. However, both Jamie Bryson and Carla Lockhart said the Portadown district won’t be accepting any deal that sees them walk away from their right to parade down the Garvaghy Road. Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald and First Minister Michelle O’Neill were back on the Garvaghy road with residents on Wednesday – with the First Minister saying that standing on the road with residents on Sunday was "the right thing to do". Meanwhile, the leaders of the DUP and UUP say they expect to see prosecutions over the protest in the next few days. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Kevin Scott, Kurtis Reid, and Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 29 · 29 min
The mistake that left ‘Slab' Murphy with a big bill and a massive problem
In 1990, Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy lost his seminal libel case against the Sunday Times. But formerly secret files reveal the south Armagh republican was actually expected to win it – and that the paper was considering throwing in the towel. But a tactical error by Murphy led to the paper deciding to fight – and not settle, costing him a fortune. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 28 · 41 min
Drumcree: nationalist and unionist camps completely divided over Garvaghy march
There is a stalemate in Portadown and deep division in Stormont. On the Orange side, the issue is the rights of a small number of people to march their traditional route – backed by a legal ruling. On the Garvaghy Road, a community feels that march is sectarian harassment - and a relic of another age. This is a local issue, but one which deep historical resonances, and one which many fear has brought Northern Ireland to the political brink. Unionists accuse nationalists of not accepting the rule of law, while nationalists accuse unionists of unnecessarily opening an old wound. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride and Allison Morris and hears from Claire Dickson in Portadown, and from Andrew Madden in Stormont. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 27 · 47 min
Siobhán Fenton: Former insider on Sinn Féin' ideological conundrums
When journalist Siobhan Fenton was headhunted by Sinn Féin in 2020 she was an outsider. Entering the party press office in Dublin, she was from Belfast, and didn’t support IRA violence. At the time Sinn Fein was soaring, with Mary Lou McDonald expected to eventually become Ireland’s first female Taoiseach. But that hasn’t happened. Instead, the party’s momentum faltered – although it remains the biggest party on the island. What goes on inside of one of Ireland’s most secretive party, and how is the new generation of Sinn Féin staff changing the party? After five years working for Sinn Fein, Siobhán Fenton was ruthlessly dumped, learning that she was being ditched through a media report in 2025. She has released the book ‘Ourselves alone: Sinn Féin behind closed doors’ - and she joined Sam McBride on the BelTel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 25 · 27 min
Drumcree: Orange Order to march Garvaghy road again after 28 years
The Parades Commission has given go ahead for Drumcree Orange march down the Garvaghy Road - but with stringent conditions. Permission has been granted for no more than 35 people, including five named marshals, to take part in the parade, which will depart Drumcree Church at 8am on Sunday September 27. Nationalists are outraged by the decision; unionists have welcomed it. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph's security correspondent, Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 25 · 10 min
'Donaldson should get 10 years', court hears
The former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson should serve at least 10 years in prison, a court in Newry has heard. The remarks were made during a submission hearing for disgraced former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson. The former MP was convicted of a series of historical sexual offences earlier this year. He was brought from Maghaberry high security prison to court for the hearing. Submissions were made from prosecutors about the length of prison term he should serve. Donaldson (63) had already been warned to expect a significant custodial term. Allison Morris was in court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 22 · 22 min
Manhunt continues as Derry murderer remains on the run
Gary Anderson is a dangerous murderer –and he’s on the run. The Derry man had been granted compassionate leave for his father's funeral, even though his brother Sean, guilty of the same murder, wasn’t. The 29-year-old was sentenced to a minimum tariff of 15 years for his role in the murder of father-of-five Karol Kelly in 2018. The manhunt continues on both sides of the border as we wonder why Anderson was granted the leave in the first place. Olivia Peden is joined by our crime correspondent Allison Morris. This episode was recorded on the afternoon of Tuesday 22nd September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 22 · 26 min
‘We’ll forget her soon enough’ - Earl Spencer’s explosive claims about Princess Diana and King Charles
“We’ll forget her soon enough.” That is the extraordinary comment Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, claims King Charles made in the days following her death. Now, Spencer’s new book has reignited old tensions and prompted a rare response from Buckingham Palace. Daily Mail features writer Fred Kelly joins Kevin Doyle to ask why Spencer is speaking out now, whether his claims stack up and what this latest royal row means for Diana’s enduring legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 20 · 32 min
Johnny ‘Mad dog’ Adair: “He created the mad dog persona”
Johnny Adair, commonly referred to as ‘Mad dog Adair’, was one the most well-known terror bosses of the Troubles. He said his war was aimed at the IRA, but innocent Catholics were more often than not his real victims. His C Company of the west Belfast UDA also turned their guns on their fellow loyalists. Who is Mad dog Adair, what does he believe, and how does he view his murderous reign? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Aaron Edwards, a Senior Lecturer in Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and author of ‘Enemies within: The explosive true story of Johnny ‘Mad dog’ Adair’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 18 · 39 min
‘Beast of Kincora’ William McGrath manifesto cassette emerges after 55 years
William McGrath, was an influential loyalist, founder of the paramilitary group Tara, and a hardline evangelical Protestant. He was also a notorious predatory paedophile who rape dozens of young boys. Widely known as the ‘Beast of Kincora’ McGrath was convicted of abuse at the notorious east Belfast boys’ home and jailed in 1981. Now an audio tape of McGrath has emerged after more than half a century. In it he espouses an extreme ideology, inter-mixed with mythology, and fueled by religion. The Belfast Telegraph's Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride joins me to tell the story of the tape, how he got it, and what is on it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 16 · 27 min
The Belfast Telegraph Bomb: The day the IRA attacked the newsroom
On September the 15th, 1976, the Belfast Telegraph offices in Belfast centre was bombed by the Provisional IRA. Journalists were clattering at their typewriters when the second evacuation warning of the day went out on the Tannoy. Following the evacuation, a bomb in a van exploded in a loading bay, before many employees had the chance to get out. One of them – 64-year-old production worker Joe Paton - who'd been in a locker room above the bay - died from his injuries four days later. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by former Belfast Telegraph journalists Billy Graham and Alf McCreary, who were there on the day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 15 · 26 min
Noah Donohoe: Fiona Donohoe says PSNI and DfI "sought to blame Noah", as jury finds police didn’t contribute to teen’s death
The jury in the inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe has found that the teenager died on the night of his disappearance, meaning that the PSNI’s response to his disappearance did not contribute to his death. However, the jury did find that police failings impacted on their ability to come to a conclusion in the inquest and found that the Department of Infrastructure “erred” in its management of the culvert in which the teenager died. But it also found that it was not probable that the Department’s management of the culvert more than minimally contributed to Noah’s death. They were unable to explain Noah’s behaviour on the day he went missing because the evidence was insufficient to enable them to reach a conclusion. 14-year-old Noah’s body was discovered in north Belfast six days after he went missing as he cycled to meet friends. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph’s Liam Tunney, who has been in court throughout the inquest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 13 · 23 min
Seán Quinn's podcast: How is his version of the story going down?
Once Ireland's richest man, Seán Quinn has returned to tell his story once again, this time through his new podcast, The Quinn Files. Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Sunday Independent’s Liam Collins and the Irish Independent’s Sean Pollock to examine Quinn's latest account of the events that transformed him from billionaire businessman to one of the most controversial figures of post-crash Ireland. From the extraordinary success of the Quinn Group to the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank, prison and life after bankruptcy, they ask whether Quinn's latest intervention brings fresh insight or simply revisits a story the public already knows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 10 · 23 min
The ‘Hen House Boy’: 70 years on from the story of neglect which shocked NI
In September 1956 a Crossgar schoolboy made a shocking discovery after peering into a hen house and locking eyes with a child. The eyes belonged to seven-year-old Kevin Halfpenny – but he has been better known ever since as ‘the hen house boy’. Robbed of human interaction – he seemed to have learned his behavior from the chickens around him. His widowed mother Margaret Halfpenny was arrested and pleaded guilty to neglect. 70 years later, the heartbreaking story has been surrounded by folklore. Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph Journalist Kurtis Reid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 8 · 33 min
Kew Files: Who was the senior DUP member who supported violence just weeks before the Good Friday Agreement?
A senior DUP member set out their explicit support for violence - just weeks before the Good Friday Agreement. Files released in the National Archives in Kew have revealed the details of a politician’s comments to a government official - the individual wasn’t named but there were clues to their identity. It’s also been revealed that First Minister David Trimble was being paid thousands of pounds more than the deputy first Minister, Seamus Mallon, a year after the agreement – despite the roles being equal. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 7 · 43 min
Holy Cross: Clerics Fr Troy and Rev Hamilton on the protest and resolving it
When many people hear the words ‘Holy Cross’ - short for Holy Cross Girls Primary School – the words take them back to a dark time. Holy Cross is a Catholic School in a loyalist area, Upper Ardoyne or Glenbryn. In 2001, community tensions boiled over and led to loyalist residents protesting nationalist parents from Ardoyne taking their kids to schools through their part of the area. That protest became notorious for its viciousness. Two clerics, one Catholic, one Protestant became synonymous with the events of Holy Cross and attempts to resolve them. They were Fr Aidan Troy and the Rev Norman Hamilton. Fr Troy joined Ciarán Dunbar in the BelTel studio with the Rev Hamilton down the line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 3 · 37 min
Holy Cross 25-years-on: Allison Morris on what she saw, and the loyalist point of view
The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, but certain areas of Belfast felt little effect of peace. In September 2001, the Holy Cross dispute became one of the most disturbing flashpoints of the post-Agreement era. Holy Cross was a Catholic Girls' primary school but sat a few hundred yards inside the loyalist Glenbryn estate, in an area known as Upper Ardoyne. Within days of the school year starting, the world watched in horror as demonstrations involving abuse, spitting and a bomb attack ensued. What legacy has the Holy Cross dispute had, what impact did it have on the children involved, and why did protesters feel that they had no other choice? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Allison Morris and Olivia Peden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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