The BelTel

It was pandemonium in London on Wednesday morning as Kneecap’s Mo Chara appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court. Hundreds turned out to support the rapper, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, as he entered court – having arrived in a mocked up RUC landover. The west Belfast rapper is charged with a terror offence over the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year.  Ciar...

A week from the riots in Ballymena, the dust is beginning to settle. The violence has been universally condemned, but is it enough to condemn the rioters without a conversation on immigration?  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride and Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was the Irish American organisation whose aim was a united ireland – and whose method was lobbying politicians in Washington – and above all, fundraising. From lavish dinners to buckets in Irish pubs in the US, they collected millions of dollars for the Republican cause. But the question was always – where did the money go?   RTÉ is set to run a two-part documentary Noraid:...

Larne leisure centre has been extensively damaged after being attacked by youths. Onlookers cheered and laughed while attacking the building after it was used as an emergency centre by those affected by the riots. Trouble has continued in Ballymena, with petrol bombs thrown at police, a water cannon deployed and multiple houses attacked.   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Ga...

Houses were destroyed and 15 officers were injured during serious disorder in Ballymena on Monday night. Large crowds had attended an earlier anti-immigration protest in the Co. Antrim town, after two 14-year-old Romanian boys were charged with a serious sexual assault.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph Journalist Liam Tunney and Visuals Editor Kevin Scott, who was at the scene.&...

In the early 2000s, Peter and Iris Robinson were seen as Northern Ireland’s political power couple. Iris, known for her strong Christian values, secretly had an affair with 19-year-old Kirk McCambley, whose late father had entrusted her with his care. In 2008, she helped McCambley secure over £50,000 to open a café, allegedly taking £5,000 for herself—money she failed to declare as required in her...

Richard Satchwell has been given a life sentence for the brutal murder of his wife, Tina Satchwell. In March 2017, Satchwell began a media tour, saying that she was missing, but he believed she was alive. In reality, he had killed her, keeping her body in a freezer before burying her remains in their home. Her remains were undiscovered for six and a half years. Garda believe that he murdered Tina...

Northern Ireland is officially the most dangerous place in the UK to be a journalist. A new report published by Amnesty International this week says that journalists here are working in a ‘climate of fear’ with numerous death threats against them. The report says that there have been over 70 incidents of threats or attacks against journalists since the start of 2019.  Olivia Peden is joi...

Social media became alight this week after French president Emmanuel Macron was caught on camera seemingly being slapped by his wife Brigitte. An awkward smile and wave when he realised the slap had been noticed just fuelled the rumours. The couple, who met when Brigitte Macron was then 15-year-old Emmanuel’s drama teacher, have long fascinated the public. The First Lady has also been subject to o...

A jury in Dublin has awarded Gerry Adams €100,000 in damages. The former Sinn Féin leader won his High Court defamation action against the BBC on Friday morning. It followed a five-week defamation trial. The jury agreed with Mr Adams that a BBC Spotlight programme, defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson – he has always denied any involve...

UVF commander Winston ‘Winkie’ Irvine has been jailed after being caught with guns. He was sentenced to 30 months with half served on license after being caught with weapons and ammunition in the boot of his car. The judge said Irvine’s work as a ‘peacemaker’ meant that the minimum five-year tariff was inappropriate after glowing references from high-profile government and security officials...

The latest Belfast Telegraph Lucid Talk polling shows sharp divisions on some touchstone societal issues. Among the issues surveyed in the latest poll were whether rap band Kneecap should be banned from performing at Belfast Vital, assisted dying and the Supreme Court’s ruling on gender and defining what a woman is. In terms of party political support, the poll reveals the DUP are still in a rut a...

Kincora was a home for vulnerable boys in east Belfast – but controlled by paedophiles. It was a place where dozens of boys and teenagers were abused. It was run by William McGrath, a leading loyalist. McGrath has long been believed to have been an MI5 agent – and the agency has long been accused of endeavouring to cover up what happened. But perhaps the most shocking allegation to...

A jury in a Dublin court has heard a third week of evidence in the Gerry Adams defamation trial. The former Sinn Féin leader is suing the BBC over a claim made in a Spotlight program – that he gave the go ahead for Dennis Donaldson to be murdered. Gerry Adams vehemently denies any involvement in the killing.   Mark Tighe joined Ciarán Dunbar.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

When west Belfast rapper Mo Chara, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, of Kneecap allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag on stage in London, he didn’t just spark controversy – he triggered a UK terrorism investigation and has now been charged. The group says it’s political policing: the UK authorities says it’s national security. Dave Hanratty speaks to Enda Brady. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

One of the PSNI’s first Catholic recruits, told the Belfast Telegraph he had faced sectarianism, including references to “Fenian b******s”. Despite Chief Constable Jon Boutcher saying the allegations will not be investigated by a court or by the PSNI. ‘Sean’s’ solicitor says he’s standing by everything he’s alleged but has dropped threatened legal action.   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Bel...

Loyalist Jamie Bryson, former Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay and party member Thomas O’Hara will be standing trial at Belfast Crown Court charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. All three deny the offences. The charges relate to a meeting of the Stormont Finance Committee in September 2015, which Mr Bryson gave evidence to, during a review of the sale of the Nama prope...

The former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is suing the BBC over allegations made in a Spotlight programme that he sanctioned the murder of Denis Donaldson – an allegation he vehemently denies. The BBC were the centre of attention this week as the case against the broadcaster in a Dublin court continues.  Sunday Independent journalist Mark Tighe spoke to Ciarán Dunbar.  Hosted on Acast. See...

Camogie players have criticised the sport’s association for kit rules deemed as ‘archaic’. Traditionally, camogie players have worn skorts in their kit, but players are now asking for the choice to wear shorts. Following widespread disruption over the issue, a vote is due to take place next week. Are camogie skorts sexist, or just a harmless tradition?   Olivia Peden is joined by the Bel...

Sir Keir Starmer has set out plans to reduce migration saying high figures have caused “incalculable” damage to British society. He says Britain risks becoming an “island of strangers” without better integration. But what will these plans mean for Northern Ireland?  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by David McCann and by Enda Brady.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerry Adams has been under cross-examination in Dublin. The former Sinn Féin leader has taken a defamation case against the BBC.  He claims a Spotlight programme defamed him - by alleging he sanctioned the murder of Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson months after admitting his role as a police and MI5 agent for 20 years – Mr Adams denies any knowledge of the killing.   Mark Tighe ha...

Séamus Ruddy was 33 when he was abducted, tortured, shot dead and buried in secret in northern France by the INLA in 1985. A former member of the IRSP, His killers believed he knew the location of an arms dump in northern France. The murder became part bloody schism within the INLA that left over a dozen men dead. After an extensive family campaign his remains were found in a forest in May 2017.&n...

In centuries past, the word 'conclave' meant Catholic cardinals were literally locked away until a new pope had been elected. Today, it's the world that's locked out, as people await the unmistakable white smoke. In this episode, we lift the veil on the politics, power and prayers involved in electing a new pope. Why are phones confiscated? Who really pulls the strings? And who is the cardinal who...

Why did supposed peacemaker David Ervine threaten to “bomb the **** out of Dublin”, why did the British Government allow the UDA to be a legal organisation for so long, and what does Gerry Kelly think of claims that he was put in charge of restructuring the IRA?  The Belfast Telegraph’s Sam McBride found the answer to those questions in secret files at the Kew Archives in London; He joins Cia...

A Co Down man charged with raping and falsely imprisoning a woman has been on the run for almost two years after refusing to attend his trial, claiming to be a freeman of the land. It’s “false philosophy that is all too frequently before the court,” is the view of Newry judge Eamonn King about the so-called ‘freeman’ defence.   What is this all about?  Ciarán Dunbar is joined b...