The BelTel

As a former top NIO civil servant, Michael Cameron found himself mixing with paramilitary bosses and powerful politicians. He would go on to marry a DUP MLA and even join the party. Eventually forced to quit work over an illness, he became a playwright. His first play sold out the Lyric Theatre before anyone had even seen it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Ashling Murphy, a 23 year old primary school teacher went for a run on the banks of the Grand Canal outside Tullamore, Co. Offaly – she never returned home. This is the story of how Jozef Puska tried to get away with her murder. Host: Fionnán Sheahan, Guests: Catherine Fegan and Eimear Cotter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

David McCann, Alex Kane and Bill White join Ciarán Dunbar to discuss the latest Belfast Telegraph / Lucid Talk polling. Among the subjects discussed, the criteria for a border poll, whether it should need a super-majority and the prickly subject of using Casement Park for Euro 2028. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belfast Telegraphs Political Editor Suzanne Breen talks with Ciaran Dunbar on Rishi Sunak’s boredom with Northern Ireland and the DUP, the backlash Sinn Fein has received on its stance with Israeli ambassador and the sudden U-Turn after being labelled “sell outs” and why a SDLP MLA is in hot water for becoming a GAA manager. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See...

A compelling new documentary ‘Lost Boys- Belfast’s Missing Children’ has shed new light on the mysterious disappearance of FIVE children at the height of the Troubles. Only one body was recovered. All these tragic cases remain unsolved and unresolved. Were these cases linked? Did sexual predators take advantage of the mayhem for their own twisted perversion? Sharon O'Neill talks about the disappea...

The Israelis and Palestinians are two very distinct peoples, but geographically, Israel and Palestine are one and the same territories. How did this come about and is there any hope for the future? Martin Bunton is the author of The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction – he spoke to Ciarán Dunbar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

50 years ago this week, Mountjoy Prison played host to one of the most dramatic escapes in history. It was a Halloween horror show for the onlooking guards as prominent Provisional IRA figures took to the sky. Host: Kevin Doyle. Guest: Liam Collins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Islandmagee is a quiet civil parish on the east coast of Northern Ireland. But in 1711, a newcomer to the area begins to have fits, regurgitates pins and buttons, and suddenly dies. In the weeks following her death, eight woman and one man are found guilty of witchcraft at a local Courthouse – one man is executed. It was the last witchcraft trial in Ireland. Olivia Peden speaks to Dr Andrew Sneddo...

Belfast-born John Bew is Rishi Sunak’s global policy advisor. He’s the key voice informing the PM’s foreign policy and has been seen in close consultation with him in recent weeks. The historian, a son of crossbench peer Lord Paul Bew, is now one of the most influential men at Downing Street. Belfast Telegraph reporter Andrew Madden joins Ciáran Dunbar to profile him. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

With war raging in the Middle East and Europe, we ask; have the lessons of the 20th century been forgotten? What are the rules of engagement for modern warfare? and who can we trust to enforce them? Host: Kevin Doyle Guest: Declan Power See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fifty-seven-year-old man is currently on trial in Belfast’s Crown Court accused of murdering two catholic men. James Smyth from Forthriver Link, north Belfast, has denied murdering Gary Convie (24) and Eamonn Fox (41) in a gun attack in May 1994. UVF ‘Supergrass’ Gary Haggarty, who last seen in public in 2009, is giving evidence . Ciáran Dunbar joins Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent, Alliso...

Fake news seems to be everywhere online lately - but what exactly is it? Why do people spread it and can anything be done about it. Professor Julian McDougall joins Ciáran Dunbar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the height of the Troubles, the security forces found a new and unusual tactic in their fight against the IRA – ‘black magic’. How did this come about – and did people actually believe it? Richard Jenkins, author of ‘Black Magic and Bogeymen’ joins Ciáran Dunbar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and Belfast Telegraph columnist Malachi O’Doherty’s book ‘How to fix Northern Ireland’. It’s his take on what’s wrong and what has to be done. He spoke to Ciarán Dunbar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigerian gang Black Axe have gone international and are now based in Ireland, It specialises in romance and business email fraud. They are suspected of using these profits to finance murder, human trafficking and drug dealing worldwide. Who are the Black Axe Gang? Host: Ellen Coyne Guest: Ken Foy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Northern Ireland will be one of the hosts of Euro ’28 but Casement Park, an unbuilt GAA stadium, will be the local host ground. It seems to be great news - but some Northern Ireland fans are questioning what the benefit it will be for football and unionist politicians are raising questions over the costs. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Keith Baille. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Sam Mcbride and Sarah Creighton join Ciarán Dunbar for an update on global politics, including how the Palestinian – Israeli conflict seems to divide Northern Ireland Also discussed are the prospects of Stormont’s return, the battle for the future of unionism and the SNP’s big troubles in Scotland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

On Saturday, Hamas launched a series of unprecedented attacks on Israel killing hundreds of civilians. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “long and difficult war ahead.” So what happened in Israel and more importantly what could follow? Host: Tabitha Monahan. Guest: Bel Trew. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Even at the height of the Troubles, the murder of 10-year-old Brian McDermott was shocking. Brian’s body was eventually found in a sack in River Lagan. Bizarrely, the murder became part of a wider ‘black magic’ scare. Liam Tunney tells Brian’s story to Ciarán Dunbar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Republicanism has different morals from the rest of us," Máiria Cahill has said as she spoke about her new book. She waived anonymity in 2014 when she detailed allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of an IRA member. As Sinn Fein’s political support brings it closer to power in the south, what does she count as the price of speaking out? Host: Ellen Coyne Guest: Máiria Cahill See omnystudio.com...

Tall tales of children ‘identifying as cats’ have gone viral in recent years. Journalists look into it, but somehow, they can never track down the school in question. Where are these stories coming from – how do they become so viral – and do people realise that they’re sharing nonsense? Belfast Telegraph technology reporter Kurtis Reid joins Ciarán Dunbar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Patrick Devaney, an 81-year-old Portaferry man, has been jailed after inflicting years of abuse on teens sentenced to a borstal. His cruelty included beating children with cricket bats, sustained racial abuse and sick games forcing boys to fight. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by victim Andrew Parsons and Belfast Telegraph Journalist Liam Tunney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hoste...

Gerard Lawlor, a young father and Gaelic football player, was murdered in a drive-by shooting four years after the Good Friday Agreement. He was killed during a night of mayhem ordered by UDA boss Ihab Shoukri - his killing was the fifth gun attack in a four-mile radius that night as Loyalist paramilitaries searched for a Catholic victim. 21 years later, no one has been charged with the murder. Su...

Dan Wootton has been sacked by the MailOnline after he was suspended by GB News for his interview with actor Laurence Fox in which Fox made remarks about the appearance of a female journalist Ava Evans. Who are the men at the centre of the scandal and what's behind their thinking? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzanne Breen joins Ciarán Dunbar with her assessment of what’s going on behind the scenes in the DUP as the party’s boycott of Stormont continues. The party has been refusing to take part in the Assembly until issues over the Windsor Framework post-Brexit trading arrangements are addressed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...