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.
Episodes
Sinn Féin surge post-Drumcree, unionists divided, and united Ireland gap closing
Sinn Féin has seen a post-Drumcree surge in support, according to the latest Belfast Telegraph LucidTalk polling. The DUP, on the other hand, has seen its support fall to a five-year low. An overwhelming majority of nationalists back the Garvaghy Road protesters, but unionists seem a little more cautious about Drumcree Orange Order march. And more people in Northern Ireland support the Union than
Hit-and-run driver Martin Olali Junior sentenced for Fleadh bust-up
West Belfast hit-and-run driver Martin Olali Junior has been sentenced to another three months behind bars after a bust up at the Fleadh in August. The court heard that he had shouted misogynistic abuse and ‘I’m on a f***ing tag’ during the fight. Olali Junior was sentenced in October for causing the death of a dog walker in 2021. He was doing 90 in a 30 miles per hour zone when he killed 42-year-
Bizarre details of juror's behaviour at Noah Donohoe Inquest revealed
Reporting restrictions in the Noah Donohoe Inquest have been lifted. Courts use reporting restrictions to limit press coverage of legal proceedings to ensure the proceedings are fair, and that juries are not adversely influenced. A number of such restrictions were used during the inquest into the 14-year-old's 2020 death, however they can now be reported. One jury almost derailed the inquest
Chloe Mitchell murder trial: Jury hears 'Jack the ripper fascinated' accused 'dismembered body'
The prosecution in the Chloe Mitchell murder trial has laid out their case. 21-year-old Chloe was found dead in Ballymena days after going missing in June 2023. 30-year-old Brandon Rainey of James Street in Ballymena is charged with murder and attempting to prevent the burial of her body.He denies the charges. Today in court Mr David Russell KC said there was a “wealth of evidence that will show b
US voters punish Trump but is MAGA finished?
The Democrats have stormed back into power, seizing control of both the House and Senate and delivering a political blow to Donald Trump. But while the mid-terms may be over, the race to define America’s future is only just beginning. Is Trump now a lame-duck president, or can he still dominate the Republican Party from the White House?And as cracks begin to appear in the MAGA coalition, who is re
Carla Lockhart finally quits: What’s next for the Upper Bann MP and the DUP?
After weeks of hints and speculation Carla Lockhart has finally quit the DUP. In a letter penned entitled ‘A renewed vision for unionism’, the Upper Bann MP said she wanted to “be a politician whose word means something”. Gavin Robinson says the only winner from further divisions within unionism is Sinn Féin. Is unionism really in ‘meltdown’, is now the time for unionist unity, and will Carla Lock
Richard Moore: Forgiving the British Army officer who took his sight
When Richard Moore was 10 years old a British Army captain shot him in the face with a rubber bullet. The Derry School boy lost his sight completely in an instant but twenty years ago Richard met Charles, the soldier who shot him, and forgave him. They have been friends ever since. Richard grew up to establish the charity Children in Crossfire in 1996 with the goal of supporting vulnerable childre
Revisited: The witch trials of Islandmagee
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
The murder of two Belfast Telegraph delivery drivers, 50 years on
On the 30th of October 30, 1976, two Belfast Telegraph delivery men Charles Corbett and John Maguire were shot dead in north Belfast. John Maguire's ten-year-old son witnessed his father's murder. The boy himself was wounded in the leg. The men were gunned down by very young members of the UVF. One of gunmen apologised – but fifty years later he couldn't even remember their names. Liam
DUP: Lockhart set to walk as Robinson fudges forcing O'Neill out
DUP leader Gavin Robinson says Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will quit joint engagements with First Minister Michelle O’Neill - but he won’t be pulling her out of the executive. The DUP's party officers met on Thursday to discuss their options. Before the meeting, Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart published a letter to the party making it clear – that if it didn't pull Emma Little-
How torture videos are escalating drug debt intimidation in Ireland
Incidents of violent drug-debt intimidation are rising in Ireland – and the methods are becoming more concerning and elaborate. Brutal enforcers are now using 'disappearing' video technology on social media platforms to capture and distribute graphic footage of torture. The targeted aggression goes beyond those allegedly in arrears, with innocent friends and family members increasingly cau
Judge dismisses Orange Order challenge but warns against "joy in the outcome"
A judge has dismissed an Orange Order against the Secretary of State’s decision to ban the Drumcree parade from going down the Garvaghy Road. But Mr Justice Scoffield said those against the march should take “no particular joy in the outcome”. He said that a lawful decision-making process has established the lodge’s right to parade in law. He also told the court that Sir Chris Bryant’s decision wa
Is Carla Lockhart going to leave the DUP?
The Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has been to the forefront of Northern Ireland's politics ever since the re-emergence of the Drumcree Parade issue. The DUP-woman has stridently defended the rights of Orangemen to march down the Garvaghy Road in the face of nationalist opposition. She has been clear - the DUP must get Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill out of power over her actions in the Gar
Jeffrey Donaldson: Dark questions over ex-DUP leader’s curious African shadow career
Jeffrey Donaldson was doing paid work for the ministry of defence in Africa even as acute political turmoil was engulfing his party at home in Northern Ireland. Why was the then DUP leader undertaking sensitive work in dictator-led Cameroon just a week after he himself collapsed Stormont in 2022? Why was he helping sell arms in Egypt alongside a British general? Why did a special forces officer sa
Jeffrey Donaldson: Former MP being investigated over alleged Westminster rape
The Metropolitan Police in London are investigating Jeffrey Donaldson over a rape allegationIt is alleged to have happened in the former MP's Westminster office. Donaldson is currently serving a prison sentence in Maghaberry for 18 counts of child sex abuse, including the rape of a child.The former DUP leader Donaldson was sentenced last week to 15 years but will serve just half of that term i
Portadown District’s offers to secure Drumcree parade deal revealed in court
Offers made by Portadown District to allow Orangemen to walk the Garvaghy Road have been revealed in court – including a 4AM march, accompanied by a residents’ protest.The court has finished hearing submissions during the legal challenge to the Secretary of State’s ban on the Drumcree parade, with Mr Justice Scoffield due to deliver his judgement next week. On Monday the court heard the security r
Give My Head Peace: Comedies axed as BBC makes deep cuts
Perforated Ulster, Give My Head Peace, and The Long and the Short of it, all produced by the Hole in the Wall gang are being axed by the BBC.The Blame Game has also been culled.The BBC is making major cuts across the corporation as budget cuts take hold.BBC bosses say they have to make difficult decisions – but the cuts mean there will be no more local comedy on our screens.Ciarán Dunbar is joined
Ammi Burke: Solicitor's legal showdown with her former employer
The Burkes are back, but this time it's not Enoch grabbing the headlines, it's his sister Ammi.In 2019, Ammi Burke was dismissed from her role at one of Ireland’s most prestigious law firms, Arthur Cox, after just over three years with the company.Seven years, multiple legal battles and countless court appearances later, Ms Burke wants her job back. She and her former employer are facing o
Jeffrey Donaldson’s victims in their own words
The PSNI has released the audio statements of Jeffrey Donaldson’s victims, Victim A and Victim B.Their voices have been artificially generated to protect the victims’ identity.On Thursday, the former DUP leader was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of 18 charges of child sex abuse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jeffrey Donaldson given 15 years - but will be out in seven
Jeffrey Donaldson received a 15 year sentence in prison for his crimes. He was given 11 years for rape against Victim B and four years for all offences against Victim A, to be served consecutively.The former MP and ex-DUP leader was sentenced in Newry Courthouse on Thursday morning.However, later on Thursday after the Lady Chief Justice confirmed Donaldson will actually walk free in seven-and-a-ha
Missing for 34 years: Patsy O’Sullivan and the secret family no one knew about
It was in April 1992 when Patrick 'Patsy' O'Sullivan called into his brother Jerry's home like it was any other day, but it’s a day that will forever remain etched in Jerry’s memory. Patrick went missing from his home in Co Kerry that year, and despite extensive searches and emotional appeals, efforts to find him proved fruitless. It would take the O'Sullivan family 34 years to
Drumcree: Garvaghy Residents’ challenge dismissed, dispute rumbles on despite parade ban
The parading crisis in Portadown seems over on the ground, but it is very much alive in the courts, on the airwaves, and in politics. The Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant stepped in on Friday to ban the Portadown Orange lodge from marching down the Garvaghy Road, now the Orange Order is challenging that decision in the courts. On Monday afternoon, the Court of Appeal dismissed a ch
The St Andrews Agreement 20 years on: Paisley signs up to power-sharing
The St Andrews Agreement was signed twenty years ago on 13 October 2006.Officially. it just amended the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement, but it did bring about some profound changes in Northern Ireland’s politics.It saw the DUP and Ian Paisley signing up to the peace process.Sinn Féin bought into policing, agreeing to work with the PSNI; the DUP agreed to go into government with them.The two parti
BONUS: From green fields to factory farms: How ‘catastrophic’ industrial agriculture policy is trashing environment
Northern Ireland’s Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir interviewed by Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride, discussing how what he says has been a ‘catastrophic’ agricultural policy went disastrously wrong in the race for cheap meat... and whether he is inadvertently embedding what he’s seeking to reverse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Encrochat: Spy hack on gangster phones still decimating NI drug dealers’ ranks
In recent weeks, the 2020 French hack into the secret gangster phone network Encrochat has continued to see Northern Ireland drug dealers sent to Maghaberry.Multiple prison sentences have been handed down to some significant figures from Northern Ireland’s criminal world.Gangsters like ‘cute hur’, ‘mint wind’ and ‘ultra gold’ are just some of those who went down after the notorious platform spille
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 McNult
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 aid
‘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 w
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 Jam
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
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 broug
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 b
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 b
'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 f
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 A
‘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
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
‘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
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 Pat
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 i
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 Irel
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 pl
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 thous
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
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 y
David Sullivan: The mystery of the headless alleged paedophile’s murder
In September 2000 a body was found in a bog in Fermanagh. This was not a so called ‘bog-body’, sacrificed long ago - the body turned out to belong to local bus driver David Sullivan, who had gone missing 17 months earlier. There were things that were particularly disturbing about this discovery – the first of which was that Sullivan was the subject of dozens of allegations of chil
God, Religion, the Troubles, and Christian Peacebuilding
For much of the world, the Troubles in Northern Ireland were about Catholics and Protestants fighting each other. With those labels being used as shorthand to this day to describe members of the two main communities, it's easy to see why. But whilst for some the conflict clearly included a religious element, the role of religion is certainly up for debate. But what about
“Everything that I was told was a lie”: Lauren Bradford-Clarke, Colin Howell’s daughter
Lauren Bradford-Clarke grew up believing her mother Lesley had taken her own life before finding out the truth – her father was a murderer. She was told her mum Lesley took her own life, eventually being told it was part of a ‘suicide’ pact with a man, Trevor Buchanan – the husband of the woman who would eventually become her stepmother. That woman was Hazel Stewart, how had been having an affair
The IRA’s infamous escape from Belfast’s prison ship, the HMS Maidstone
HMS Maidstone, an ex-Royal Navy Ship, was used in the early 1970s to hold internees.In January 1972, a group of IRA prisoners swam 270 meters through an ice-cold Belfast Lough in a bid to escape, greasing themselves in butter to squeeze out of the ship’s portholes. They then hijacked a double-decker bus before slipping across the border, humiliating the authorities. Ciarán Dunbar is join
Drumcree: The crisis over an Orange parade which brought NI to the brink
The Parades Commission acted wrongly in blocking Orangemen from seeking to march down a mainly nationalist road in Portadown, a court has ruled.Senior figures at Portadown District believe it now clears the way for Orangemen to walk back along the Garvaghy Road after almost 30 years, and intend to table a fresh application to march “in the near future”.But what are the origins of the dispute which
Maura Lyons: The Rev Ian Paisley and the 15-year-old 'abducted' from west Belfast
The Rev Ian Paisley rose to prominence as the face of hardline unionism but the first time some would have heard of him would have been in connection with Maura Lyons. In 1956, the west Belfast teenager was smuggled to Scotland by members of the Free Presbyterian Church. She was a 15-year-old Catholic girl who converted to Free Presbyterianism, in the face of the strong objections of her family. T
‘Peace at last’: The 1994 Loyalist Ceasefires
On the 13 October 1994, six weeks after the IRA announced a ‘complete cessation’, the Loyalist paramilitary groups declared their ceasefires. The UVF’s Gusty Spence announced loyalist violence was over, in a step that is seen as one of the vital steps towards a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by former PUP leader Billy Hutchinson, Historian Aaron Edwards, and journalists
Jon Burrows and the UUP in a fix as Mike Nesbitt resigns
The UUP's Mike Nesbitt has resigned as health minister – with a stinging public resignation letter aimed at his UUP leader Jon BurrowsThe row is over retaining emergency general surgery at the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. The Northern Trust had recommended its closure, despite widespread local opposition.Jon Burrows told a public meeting in Coleraine that he wouldn't support any closure – despi
'It’s Over’: The 1994 IRA 'ceasefire'
After 25 years of what it termed ‘Armed Struggle’ and the ‘Long War’ , the Provisional IRA called a “complete cessation of military operations” on 31st August 1994 – 30 years ago. By that stage, the organisation was responsible for the deaths of 1,700 people. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Journalists Brian Rowan and Allison Morris, Former Belfast Telegraph Editor Ed Curran and historian Fearghal Mac
Families search for truth over 1983 south Armagh murders
Paddy Mackin and Eamon MacMahon's bodies were found on the morning of the 13th of July, 1983. They both had been blasted with a shotgun as close range. The murders of the 34 year olds were first blamed on INLA leaders Dominic and Mary McGlinchey. But their families don’t believe that – they believe “other republicans” were involved. They claim that an in
Culture war rages in the wake of Prof Jason Arday resignation
UPDATE: Professor Jason Arday was found deceased in London on Friday afternoon. He was found at an address in Battersea and pronounced dead at the scene. At 37, Jason Arday became the University of Cambridge’s youngest black professor. However, he found himself at the center of a plagiarism accusations which cast a shadow over his career – and thrust him into the international limelight
Fleadh Cheoil hailed as an enormous success for Belfast
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann took over Belfast City Centre for over a week drawing huge crowds. The all-Ireland traditional Irish music competition and festival has been near universally hailed as an enormous success. It has been cited as having made a massive cultural, social, and economic impact on the city. How much money was made? What impact will it have on the Fleadh,
Inside the court as alleged godfather Daniel Kinahan charged and jailed
Daniel Kinahan sounded bemused when he described the frenzy around his life as “movie stuff”, but the scenes that accompanied his trip back to Ireland were undeniably cinematic. A trip on a €53m government jet that was tracked by the public in real-time, a ring of steel around parts of Dublin as he was escorted in a bomb-proof convoy, and a long-awaited appointment at the Criminal Courts of J
'Where have all the Prods gone?': 'Exodus' from Londonderry 'ignored'
The Protestant exodus from Londonderry's cityside was ‘largely ignored or denied’ according to a new report.Its authors say they would like to see 'acknowledgement’ and 'acceptance' of the massive population shift and its causes. A report says the mass movement from the west to the east bank of the Foyle was not down to "one event or cause” — but violence had a “major impact
Mystery as News Letter editor Ben Lowry dumped – and won't be replaced
Ben Lowry is no longer the editor of the News Letter. The outspoken commentator was removed from his position without explanation. Mr Lowry had spent 19 years at what is the world's oldest continuously published English language daily newspaper. The 288-year-old unionist paper now appears to be drifting without an editor at the helm. The Belfast Telegraph has been told that staff ar
New IRA: Republican terror group active on both sides of the border
The seizure last week of a bomb containing almost 400g of Semtex plastic explosive has put the New IRA back on to the front pages after a lull in violence.Two people connected to the political group Saoradh have been charged in relation to the incident. The sophisticated device has fuel fears that the group has gained access to fresh stocks of military-grade explosives.The New IRA has been long be
West Belfast accountant blames office arson on death driver's friends
A west Belfast Accountant whose business was destroyed in an arson attack is blaming associates of a convicted death driver. Tim ‘Timo’ Molloy says people close to Martin Olali Jnr, who is awaiting sentencing for mowing down a pedestrian and his pet dog in a hit-and-run, are to blame. Mr Molloy’s office, which he lived above, was torched in May 2025 as he slept, he says thugs linke
LucidTalk Polling: DUP's support tanks in Donaldson aftermath
The DUP's support has slumped disastrously – that's according to the latest Belfast Telegraph / LucidTalk polling. The dramatic fall in backing for the party comes in the wake of former leader Jeffrey Donaldson's conviction for child sex offences. Sinn Féin and the Alliance party have also seen a drop in their support. This is all good news for the TUV, the SDLP, a
The alleged New IRA bomb plot, the law student and the museum worker
A “significant” bomb built for “catastrophic” damage, and a suspected plot to bring violence to the north-west of Northern Ireland. The foiling of an alleged New IRA plot to detonate a bomb was a stark reminder of the dissident republican activity that quietly continues on both sides of the border. At the heart of the case are two suspects: Simon O’Donovan (44), an employee at the National Mu
The Derry murder of Paul McCauley: ‘It was like a black cloud of grief over this city’
In July 2000, a summer barbecue ended in unimaginable violence. Father-of-one Paul McCauley (29), alongside his two friends, were brutally beaten by a loyalist mob in the Chapel Road area of Derry, in what police described as an unprovoked sectarian attack. Paul never regained consciousness – spending almost a decade in care before dying from his injuries in 2015. Olivia
NI’s poshest hotel offers prize for hard-right gathering featuring conspiracy theorists and antivaxxers
Last week in London the great and good of the political right arrived for a conference focusing on ‘saving the west’. The three-day CPAC event hosted a star-studded cast – from Nigel Farage, to Liz Truss, to Ian Paisley Jr. It also hosted conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine speakers. At the ‘Winston Churchill Gala Dinner’ in the programme, one of the prizes was a stay at The Galgorm, i
Andrew and Tristan Tate's falling empire – 59 charges, Miami jail and UK extradition fight
This episode contains references to rape and sexual assault, and may not be suitable for everyone.Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, like to talk about male empowerment and freedom, yet both are currently shackled away from the outside world. Arrested last weekend by US authorities, the pair are unlikely to find that the confines of a Miami jail cell measure up to the lavish lifestyl
Does Andy Burnham really care about Northern Ireland?
Andy Burnham has officially entered Downing Street, and has shook up the Labour Cabinet. In his maiden speech, the former mayor of Manchester has vowed “take power out of downing street, and carry it into every postcode in the land”. Ministers have been swiftly replaced, from the chancellor to Northern Ireland’s Secretary of state, with Welsh MP Chris Bryant replacing Hilary Benn. So wha
Craigyhill UDA chief says he has "nothing to hide" after cops make murder appeal
The UDA chief behind the Craigyhill bonfire in Larne won’t answer questions about his knowledge of an unsolved murder. David Murray says he has “nothing to hide”. But - he might be feeling the heat after police launched a fresh appeal about the loyalist-feud killing of Andrew Cairns in Larne in 2000. Murray was initially charged with murdering the UVF man, who was beaten before bring shot in
“Clearly we have an issue”: Ballymena murder-suicide latest in number of similar tragedies to shock public
On Monday morning an horrific discovery was made in Ballymena - the remains of three people were found inside a house on the Old Cullybackey Road – a man, a woman and an eight-year-old girl. It is believed that the man murdered his wife and child before ending his own life, a year after a similar tragedy in Co. Fermanagh. Since 2017 there have been 13 women and children murdered i
Ann Widdecombe killed in ‘targeted attack’, say counter-terrorism police
The murder of firebrand politician Ann Widdecombe has sent shockwaves through the British establishment, prompting fresh debate around the safety of public figures. An unapologetic straight-talking stateswoman, Widdecombe served as an MP for 23 years, and was famed for controversial outspoken views on abortion, gay rights and women’s issues. Despite her divisive nature, Widde
Where did Jeffrey Donaldson’s fortune go – and can he afford an appeal?
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson earned massive sums over a successful career. But the Belfast Telegraph understands the now convicted pedophile's fortune is ebbing away – and that he still has a mortgage on his Dromore home. He has to pay a legal bill of half a million pounds – can he afford an appeal? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride. Hosted on Acast. S
The Orange Order and the Twelfth, how did it come about?
Long associated with the Orange Order, marching bands and bonfires – the Twelfth goes back a long way. But what is the origin of the celebrations, of the order itself and does the organisation have a future? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by historian Dr David Hume.This episode of The BelTel was originally released in July 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Conor McGregor: Why does America keep giving the disgraced fighter a platform?
t’s fight week, and Conor McGregor has come out swinging. ‘The Notorious’ finally steps back into a UFC octagon this weekend for a main event match-up, and while some are questioning his physical prowess, his microphone game remains as brash as ever. Sat in front of the media once more, McGregor espoused his divine beliefs, proclaimed his innocence and once again weighed in
Bonfire season heats up as man arrested following replica of mosque placed on pyre
Summer has begun, and once again, controversies continue to surround bonfire season. A man has been arrested over the erection of a replica of a mosque on top of a bonfire in Moygashel with a loyalist source in the area warning that any attempt to move in on the bonfire will result in a ‘stand-off’. Paramilitary flags remain flying on streets and other bonfires across Northern Ireland ju
Woman claims Jeffrey Donaldson sexually assaulted her in Westminster DUP offices
Jeffrey Donaldson looks set to be investigated again after a further allegation of sexual assault on a woman in the DUP offices at Westminster. The young woman at the heart of the allegations says that the former DUP leader tried to get her to drink vodka shots in his office, that she refused to do, before he allegedly tried to kiss her on the mouth and put his hand up her skirt.The DUP has commis
New evidence revealed as John George murder trial expected to begin in January
The trial for the murder of father-of-two John George is expected to begin in January 2027. The remaining suspect in the case, Newtownabbey man Johnny Smyth, is in a Spanish jail awaiting trial. A man who was occupying the villa where John George was last seen was stabbed in Lisburn City Centre last week - after previously suffering a knife attack in spain last year.Meanwhile, footage has emerged
Noah Donohoe inquest adjourned following ‘unprecedented’ late night sitting
The Noah Donohoe inquest has been adjourned until later in the year following an “unprecedented” late-night sitting. Jurors were sent out on Tuesday to begin discussions about their verdict and had been deliberating for almost 25 hours. The jury of eight men and two women were asked to deliver a verdict on teen’s death, and were asked to cover “what police knew, when they knew it an
'In the first four weeks, I spent £3 million' : The east Belfast man who won £10 million
In 1996, Peter Lavery's life changed overnight. The Short Strand man was earning £300 a week driving buses when he became one of Northern Ireland's biggest ever lottery winners, scooping up a £10.2 million. Nearly 30 years later, he's one of Belfast's best-known businessmen. Today, he's the founder of Titanic Distillers, bringing whiskey production back to the city for the first tim
Jeffrey Donaldson: Did MI5 and PSNI know of MP’s innapropriate behaviour?
Two decades ago, a senior PSNI detective who had come from MI5 headquarters in London saw something he couldn’t believe – DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson entering a gay sauna.That story, which was revealed last week, has fed into speculation around what the police and intelligence services knew about Jeffrey Donaldson’s behaviour. It has now become clear that police were aware of the far more seriou
