The State of Us

Tara Mills and Declan Harvey in an extra episode of The State of Us on a second night of violence in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Protesters threw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police. Five people were arrested and a further 17 officers were injured overnight, bringing the total to 32. Officers fired baton rounds and used a water cannon to disperse protesters as cars were set on fire and t...

One in four children in Northern Ireland have missed more than a tenth of school days in the current academic year. One mental health consultant said "school-based anxiety" had become an epidemic which is "off the Richter scale" in Northern Ireland. Some of the main causes of school avoidance are cited are anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism and bullying, either physic...

Hazel Behan was working as a travel rep in Portugal in 2004; she was 20 years old. She was asleep in her bed, when an intruder broke into her apartment, and subjected her to a brutal and horrific rape attack. Years later, when she saw a photograph in a news report of the chief suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, Christian Brückner, her world was once again turned upside down. Convinced he was th...

The high-profile loyalist Winston Irvine is in the UVF wing of Maghaberry Prison after he was given a two and a half year sentence for firearm and ammunition offences. The 49-year-old of Ballysillan Road in north Belfast will spend half of his sentence in custody and half on licence. At Belfast Crown Court, his co-accused Robin Workman, 54, of Shore Road, Larne was also sentenced to five years; ha...

An extra episode of The State of Us. Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams wins his libel case against the BBC and is awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey talk to BBC Crime and Justice Correspondent Julian O’Neill who has covered everyday of the high profile case and former BBC Political Editor Mark Devenport who has written a book about Gerry Adams. Mr Adams sued the...

NI porn star Meghan O’Neill says that because of her career, she has been treated worse than the man who murdered her brother. In The State of Us podcast today, Meghan talks about how she explains what she does to her kids, her thoughts on any future relationships and how she balances work with living in a small town in Northern Ireland. She earns good money on Only Fans and through pornography. S...

After four weeks of evidence in Dublin, the jury in Gerry Adams' libel case against the BBC is expected to be sent out to consider its findings soon. He is suing over a 2016 Spotlight programme and online report in which an anonymous source alleged the former Sinn Féin leader sanctioned the murder of a British agent, Denis Donaldson. Mr Adams, 76, denies the claim. Hit subscribe to get our next ep...

A member of Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap has been charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, has been charged by the Metropolitan Police after an incident on 21 November 2024 at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London. Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, is due to app...

The Department of Health tells The State of Us podcast that the Health Minister will make an announcement on the availability of weight loss medication in Northern Ireland ‘shortly’. Marc McKee’s GP told him, aged 34, that he would be lucky to live to see his 40th birthday. Since then, he’s lost 9 stone in 9 months using weight loss injections. He says the drugs have been ‘life changing’. There ar...

Victims of a former school welfare officer who was convicted of sexual assault and grooming have told ‘The State of Us’ they believe their school didn’t do enough to prevent the abuse. Neil Beckett groomed the schoolgirls and used his position as a welfare officer at Lagan College in Belfast to access vulnerable young women. He was found guilty on 17 counts last December. Lagan College have told t...

Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take on the tricky trans rights debate in today’s episode of The State of Us. Two local councils have become embroiled in the discussion. Where does the law stand in Northern Ireland, and what might be coming next? They also chat about how the media reports on trans issues, and when the BBC has had to grapple with editorial decisions in this area. Also on this episode:...

The west Belfast rap band Kneecap have dominated recent headlines. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey chat about why there is a such a tie between Northern Ireland and Israel/Gaza. Dr Julie Norman from University College London gives us the very latest from the Middle East. Also on today’s episode: Our BBC complaint of the week – should a BBC TV news presenter be allowed to wear trainers? Contact us: th...

A new way of talking and learning about the news in Northern Ireland. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey react and reflect on the stories that impact all our lives and speak to those who can help us understand why we’re in the state we’re in. There’ll be lots of candid conversations, special guests, with wisdom, informality and some fun along the way. Nothing will be off the table on “The State of Us”....