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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.
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684 Episodes
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Unionists felt that Margaret Thatcher was someone they could trust so when she signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement giving Dublin the right to be consulted over NI, unionists felt utterly betrayed and they were outraged. The UUP leader Jim Molyneax even called it an “an evil document.” Tens of thousands of unionists took to the streets of Belfast, a day forever remembered due to the DUP leader Ian Paisley’s “never, never, never” speech. Professor Fergal Cochrane, Alex Kane, Professor Graham Walker, and Dr. Peter McLaughlin explain what happens when the Anglo-Irish Agreement is revealed and why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hunger Strikes had led to a surge in support for Republicanism and in October 1984, Margaret Thatcher herself, narrowly escaped death in the Brighton bombing. Her intelligence chiefs were clear; they weren’t going to defeat the IRA by purely military and security means – she decided something had to be done. Meanwhile in Dublin, fears over the rise of Sinn Féin and frustration with a lack of progress in advancing nationalists’ interests led to an openness to fresh ideas. The stage was set for secret talks which led to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, signed on the 15 November 1985. Ulster’s Unionists were outraged by what they saw as a betrayal. What was the background to the agreement, why was it so controversial, and what did it really involve? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Professor Fergal Cochrane, commentator, Alex Kane, Professor Graham Walker, and Dr. Peter McLaughlin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
“I’m still working because the thieving HMRC came after me... at the most vulnerable time in my life,” Eamonn Holmes has revealed to the BelTel. He spoke to Ciarán Dunbar about his tax troubles, Donald Trump, working for GB News and growing up in the New Lodge area of Belfast. The GB News presenter is currently touring Northern Ireland with his one man show, ‘This Is My Life’. He joined Ciarán Dunbar in the studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1Jonathan Walton describes himself as a ‘con-hunter’ but that’s not what he set out to be. The tv producer turned vigilante after he was scammed by con artist Marianne Smyth, the so-called ‘Queen of Con’. Over several years he had handed his supposed best friend Smyth, who claimed to be an Irish heiress, over $100,000. She was a lifelong con-artist, using a range of strategies, lies and aliases – posing as Jennifer Anniston, becoming a satanic priestess, claiming to be on the IRA’s army council, pretending to have cancer. Smyth was sentenced in September to 4 years in jail at Downpatrick crown court as it was revealed that she had scammed over £100,000 from people in Northern Ireland. Jonathan Walton has written a book on his experience with the fraudster. It’s called ‘ Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves and is host of the hit podcast Queen of the Con, he joined Ciarán Dunbar on the BelTel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An east Belfast woman has been jailed after promising to donate a kidney over Facebook. Nicola Hutton reached out to Billy and Joanne Cullen over social media after Billy’s diagnosis of a serious disease. A stranger to the couple, Hutton continued to keep in contact with them to assure that she was a match and the transplant process was underway – but in reality, she had never intended to hand over the organ. Hutton has now been sentenced to five months in prison. Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter Kurtis Reid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan has been the focus of attention and anger over his visit to Israel. The UUP have lost a councillor, Linzi McLaren resigned her seat and quit the party citing concerns over Irish language policy and the absence of female voices. Plans are afoot to install street signage in Greek, Mandarin and Hebrew in Belfast – but will it actually happen? And finally, who keeps trying to flood Stormont? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by commentators Tim Cairns and Ursula Savage to discuss the week in NI politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Fethard-on-Sea Boycott was a notorious event in Irish history. In 1957, Sheila Cloney, the Protestant wife of a Catholic farmer, fled her home with her children. Associates of Ian Paisley hid Sheila and her children in Belfast before eventually getting them to Scotland. Sheila Cloney left the Wexford village after refusing to bow to the demands of the local Catholic clergy to educate her daughter as Catholics. In response, the priests launched a boycott of Fethard's Protestant shopkeepers and farmers. Tim Fanning tells Ciarán Dunbar the story of Sheila Cloney of the boycott of Protestants in Fethard-on-Sea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 smuggledto 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. They accused the Rev Ian Paisley of “abduction”. At one point, he gathered his supporters in the Ulster Hall to listen to a recording of Maura’s voice at the Ulster Hall, renouncing her Catholic faith as a “religion of fear and dread”. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by journalist Malachi O’Doherty, who grew up in west Belfast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The latest BelTel / LucidTalk polling reveals Sinn Féin keep the top spot as both the DUP and UUP see a slight boost in popularity, but the trend is worrying for Alliance. But Almost half of unionists say they would vote for Reform UK. And as talk of a border poll refuses to go away, most people want to know what exactly the criteria for calling one would be. And finally, as Catherine Connolly wins the presidential elections down south, the polling reveals how NI voters would have voted. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Journalist Aoife Moore and political commentator Alex Kane. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Members of the UVF unit responsible for the Dublin and Monaghan bombings have been named for the first time. The bombings in May 1974 killed 33 civilians and injured almost 300 – it was the deadliest attack in the Republic’s history. Three car bombs exploded in Dublin during rush hour and a fourth exploded in Monaghan almost 90 minutes later. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir ‘Nobody’s Girl’ has brought new details of Prince Andrew’s alleged involvement in her abuse to light. Despite his repeated denials, new details and police inquiries continue to deepen the scandal, now pulling his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, into the spotlight into her own financial ties to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein Kevin Doyle is joined by former Royals Correspondent Jennie Bond and columnist Sinéad Ryan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
According to a report by the Equality Commission, Flags and sectarian grievances are ‘hindering NI boxing’. The review comes after boxer Daryl Clarke claimed he was excluded from Northern Ireland’s 2022 Commonwealth Games team because of his identity. The report also cites the continued display of flags, emblems and identity symbols at events, and a lack of formal procedures for reporting harassment and discrimination. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph journalist Niamh Campbell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soldier F has been cleared of two murders on Bloody Sunday. A judge in Belfast has ruled the evidence against the veteran fell below the standard needed. Soldier F was found not guilty of the murders of James Wray and William McKinney both shot dead by soldiers on January 30,1972. He was also cleared of attempting to murder Michael Quinn, Patrick O’Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, and an unknown person. He had pleaded not guilty to the seven counts. Predictably, the verdict has divided opinions. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent, Allison Morris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With days to go in the two-horse race to the Irish Presidency, who is likely to come out on top, and what could the winner mean for Northern Ireland? And up at Stormont, relations between politicians have become quite strained recently. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Irish Independent Politics Correspondent John Downing, and by Belfast Telegraph Assistant News Editor, Brett Campbell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
'Many people in the south have no northern friends'Some clinging to the NHS... but people live longer under Republic's systemHow can you argue for and against anything at the same time?The ‘conversation’ on a united Ireland is now constant, whether it's wanted or not. Despite unionists and others saying campaigning for a border poll is not appropriate, nationalists continue to push for it. Sam McBride and Fintan O’Toole are amongst the island of Ireland’s best-known journalists. They have written a new book entitled ‘For and against a united Ireland’, in which they both write a chapter making the case for and against unity. They joined Ciarán Dunbar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Imagine a sporting arena in which the taboo becomes the rule; where athletes aren’t tested, but encouraged to push the “chemical boundaries” of sport. Welcome to the Enhanced Games. It’s being sold as the future of sport, but not everyone’s buying it. Critics say it’s reckless and unethical. Dangerous, even. But who is footing the bill for the games, and what do they stand to benefit?Kevin Doyle is joined by Ciarán Lennon and the Athletic reporter Jacob Whitehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of Northern Ireland’s most powerful drug barons - ‘The Chocolate’ - can finally be unmasked. 48-year-old Newry man John McGivern has been forced to confess to a raft of drug charges, including dealing cocaine. He is the latest member of the criminal aristocracy brought down in the wake of the gangster phone network Encrochat getting hacked by French spies. ‘The Chocolate’ is now likely to be sent to Maghaberry but the question on Newry’s streets now is - who will fill the vacuum? Niamh Campbell is joined by Ciaran Barnes from the Sunday Life and by Allison Morris from the Belfast Telegraph. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mike Nesbitt has set out his vision for unionism at the UUP conference – but is he ready to pass the baton? Meanwhile at Stormont, arguments over cultural issues take centre stage once again, with the DUP and TUV seemingly at loggerheads. And as Unionist anger grows over Belfast City Council’s new Irish language policies, with an east Belfast sign vandalised, we take a look at the stats and surveys behind dual language signage. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by The Belfast Telegraph’s political editor Suzanne Breen and journalist Liam Tunney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hunger Strike of 1981 saw a surge in violence that left scores killed. With no end to the Troubles imaginable and Sinn Féin emerging as a serious electoral force, constitutional nationalism decided it had to do something. Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald and the SDLP leader John Hume had a meeting of minds resulting in The New Ireland Forum. What does the Forum recommend? Was it more than just a talking shop? And did it lead to the later Anglo-Irish Agreement? Ciarán Dunbar spoke to historian Séan Ó Duibhir. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Malcolm McKeown was shot dead at point blank range in August 2019. McKeown was a career criminal, from a family steeped in violence - both his brothers had convictions for involvement in sectarian killings. Two men have now been convicted of his murder – linked to the Lurgan based organised crime gang the ‘Firm’. McKeown had been shot previously, and he knew he was under threat, his enemies were many, but a botched drug deal with the Firm sealed his fate. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s crime correspondent, Allison Morris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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There's barely anyone in ireland that supports putins' war in ukrsine. Mick Wallace snd Claire Daly were dumped.