The BelTel

Outside a rainy Downing Street yesterday, Rishi Sunak set the date for the summer general election for the 4th of July. He says it is now time for Britain to choose its future, whilst Labour leader Keir Starmer says it’s time for change. Why has it been set for July, can the conservatives avoid a wipe-out, and what surprises can be expected during this campaign? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Chris Ho...

The Belfast Telegraph’s latest LucidTalk polling reveals opinions on whether Sir Jeffrey Donaldson should resign as an MP, party support, and how well the public feel think political leaders are doing. It also polls opinion on whether DUP founding member Wallace Thompson is right to think a United Ireland is inevitable.  Host: Ciarán Dunbar. Guests: Bill White, Alex Kane, and Ursula Sava...

Ulster Rugby player Paddy Jackson, who was one of the key people at the Belfast rape trial of 2018, has expressed his concerns over a proposed six-episode TV series that will dramatise the court case that rocked Northern Ireland. The trial, where Jackson and fellow Ulster rugby player Stuart Olding were found not guilty of the charges against them, has a problematic legacy in Belfast and beyond. F...

Jonathan Creswell was a showjumper, philanderer, abuser, and eventually, a murderer .  He murdered a young woman, Katie Simpson, claiming she took her own life. The PSNI initially believed him, despite his previous criminal record, which included assaulting his ex-partner and threatening to put her into a bath of bleach. Two days into the murder trial he took his own life. Ciarán Dunbar...

Arlene Foster has been accused of deflecting questions at the Covid Inquiry. The former first minister was grilled about her role during the pandemic. In questioning by barrister Clair Dobbin, Mrs Foster said she has “deep regret” over the executive’s response during the early days of the outbreak. Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar.  Hosted on Acast....

First Minister Michelle O'Neill has apologised for attending the funeral of IRA leader Bobby Storey at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. She had long said she would never apologise for being at the funeral.   Sam McBride reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The PSNI had journalists they considered “troublemakers” under surveillance. It’s led to the force being accused of acting like the Stasi.  But who was being spied on? Why and how?   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent, Allison Morris and solicitor Niall Murphy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event all over the world. NI Officials and ministers are now under scrutiny as they appear before the Covid-19 Inquiry to account for the decisions they made. The Belfast Telegraph’s Sam McBride is following the inquiry. He tells Ciarán Dunbar what it has revealed about Northern Ireland’s politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

After the murder of Adrian Donohoe, the main suspect Aaron Brady boarded a one-way flight to America. He had no intention of ever returning to Ireland. His departure instigated an international police investigation that would span multiple years, resulting in a murder trial plagued with dirty tricks and witness intimidation.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

What goes in to catching a garda killer?   In January 2013, Detectives Joe Ryan and Adrian Donohoe from Dundalk garda station were tasked with escorting credit union takings across Cooley Peninsula, on the border with Northern Ireland. The men were ambushed and Garda detective Donohoe was shot dead. What followed was the largest murder investigation in the history of the Irish state.&nbs...

Stephen Grimason was the journalist who waved the Belfast Agreement on our television screens with the iconic quote: “I have it in my hand”. The former BBC political editor Stephen Grimson later became the head of Stormont’s press operations. He passed away last week following a long illness. Last year, Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride sat down with Grimason to discuss his e...

This Saturday's Irish Cup Final sees Cliftonville play Linfield at a sold-out Windsor Park. It’s set to be one of the most eagerly anticipated cup finals in a generation, however, safety concerns from both teams have led to a security bill of £50,000. Keith Bailie is joined by Belfast Telegraph chief sportswriter Steven Beacom, ex-Linfield manager David Jeffrey and Belfast Telegraph sports reporte...

Loyalism stood triumphant. The Ulster Workers Strike succeeded. It brought down the Sunningdale executive, the council of Ireland binned, power-sharing shelved . It seemed like total victory. But was it?  In the final part of a three-part series, Ciarán Dunbar looks at the long-term legacy of Sunningdale Agreement and the Ulster Workers Strike – and asks, who really won?  Hosted on Acast...

Northern Ireland had never seen the like of the Ulster Workers Strike – a rebellion against the state – by loyalists.  The strikers wanted an end to the Sunningdale power-sharing executive and everything that went with it. It was mostly peaceful but was punctuated by the bloodiest day of the Troubles – the Dublin Monaghan bombings.  In Part 2 of a three-part series – Ciarán Dunbar l...

In 1973 the ‘Sunningdale Agreement’ established power-sharing in Northern Ireland, preceding the Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement by 25 years. It even had an All-Ireland dimension. But it met with a backlash and was brought down by the Ulster Workers Strike.  In the first part of a three-part series, Ciarán Dunbar explores the Sunningdale Agreement and its workings – and asks if it...

Michael O’Loughlin was arrested in Co Down in 2020 as part of a Europe-wide crackdown on organised crime. He was one of the first criminals arrested in the Encrochat hacking scandal. But why is the career criminal now pleading guilty to the charges against him?   Host: Fionnán Sheahan, Guest: Allison Morris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson have appeared at Newry Magistrates Court to face historical sex charges. He was escorted into the court by the PSNI amid chaotic scenes. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter Liam Tunney and crime correspondent Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Madden and Ursula Savage join Ciarán Dunbar to discuss the week in politics.  Colonel Tim Collins has been in the news after branding the Alliance Party ‘pro-nationalist'. The former soldier will be standing for the UUP in North Down in the next general election. As a possible general election looms, Health Minister Robin Swann sets sights on South Antrim's seat while questions arise...

Graham Eve boasts a military career which spanned over 8000 miles. A member of the 2nd Parachute Regiment in NI he witnessed 16 of their men being killed in the Warrenpoint ambush in 1979. His service later carried him to the Falkland Islands, where scenes got even bloodier. The former Paratrooper and gun team commander joins Olivia Peden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

The arrest of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson at the end of last month came as a shock to those in the party and beyond. Although he is now an independent MP, questions now have to be answering about who the DUP will stand in the general election. Donaldson’s resignation could prove an opportunity for the Alliance Party to gain a seat in Lagan Valley. Belfast Telegraph’s political editor Suzanne...

As the death toll in Gaza reaches 35,000, there has been a dangerous spike in tensions across the Middle East. In a serious escalation of the crisis in the region, Iran made its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil on Saturday, sending hundreds of drones and missiles across the desert, the majority of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome system. But as the West urges restraint, is a larger...

The Kew Files have revealed some of Northern Ireland's hidden secrets on unionism and loyalism. In part 2 of a 2-part special of the BelTel, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride to discuss the Kew Files and what they can tell us about Ex-DUP leader Peter Robinson, Ulster Resistance and the paramilitary activity the UK Government suspected Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly's father, Noel...

Thousands of declassified files on Northern Ireland and the troubles have been deposited, not in Belfast, but in the Kew Archives in London. In part 1 of a 2-part special of the BelTel, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride to discuss the Kew Files and what they tell us about Martin McGuinness, the IRA and the SDLP.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nationalists continue to campaign for planning a united Ireland, but Unionists seem assured it’s a pipe dream – where does the truth lie – or is it impossible to say? Is a United Ireland a realistic prospect or pure fantasy, inevitable or impossible? David McCann and Owen Polley join Ciarán Dunbar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prolific republican gunman Gerard ‘Hucker’ Moyna has died aged 69. He has been linked to several murders – including that of Shankill Butcher Lenny Murphy. He was also believed to be involved in the killing of solicitor and unionist politician, Edgar Graham – as well as IPLO spokesman, Jimmy Brown.   Allison Morris joins Ciarán Dunbar . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...