The BelTel

The death of a man in Newcastle brings the number of people murdered in Northern Ireland in the past nine weeks to nine, with twelve people murdered so far this year. 84-year-old pensioner Sean Small was found dead in his Newcastle home on Sunday night. The week before, a west Belfast father was stabbed to death in his home. Named locally as Shane Lowry, the 32-year-old's brother has been charged with the killing. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Liam Tunney and our Crime Correspondent, Allison Morris.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donaldson walked away from the Good Friday Agreement talks but formerly secret files show that he was far from a staunch hardliner, Hours before the deal was signed, the then Lagan Valley MP famously left Castle Buildings in protest at what the UUP was about to sign up to. Jeffrey Donaldson was the political hardliner – at least in public. But newly declassified documents reveal that in private – Donaldson was a very different politician – a moderate, a man with ambitions to lead unionism. Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar with the story.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Im convinced Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly aren't working off their on agenda and their own mind" - that’s the verdict of a leading female loyalist. The ‘PUL’ Community – Protestants, Unionists, Loyalists. There is sometimes debate over what those terms actually mean. That debate is suggested as being a factor in a reluctance of loyalist figures to speak to the media – especially loyalist women. What is a loyalist, are members of the PUL community media shy and is it worse for loyalist women?  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Leanne Abernethy is the creator of Herstory: Women in Loyalism and Academic consultant Joanna McMinn who is part of the National Womens Council. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 4th of January 1976, UVF gunmen burst in to a house in Whitecross, in South Armagh. They shot three young brothers, John Martin, Brian, and Anthony Reavey. John Martin and Brian died at the scene – Anthony died almost a month later. Their brother Eugene Reavey has now written a book - ‘The Killings of the Reavey Brothers: British murder and cover-up in Northern Ireland’. Eugene Reavey believes loyalist Willie Frazer played a role in the murders. Eugene Reavey joins Niamh Campbell in the studio to tell the story.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The judge hearing Kneecap member Mo Chara’s terror charge case needs more time to think about what he’s going to do next. 27-year-old  Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh from Ballymurphy was charged in May, over the alleged display of a banned Hezbollah flag at a gig in north London.The case has become stuck over a technical argument over the timing of the charge against the rapper.  "Keep talking about Palestine, this is just a distraction", the rapper told supporters outside the court. Belfast Telegraph reporter Niamh Campbell was in London.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The TUV has dramatically emerged as the third most popular party in Northern Ireland in the latest BelTel / LucidTalk polling. Most unionists want electoral pacts, a significant minority even want the existing parties to merge. Most of those polled want a commission to regulate bonfires and flags and less than a third of our readers agree with Belfast City Council’s dual Irish-English language signage policy. Ciarán Dunbar joined by the head of LucidTalk. Bill White, commentator Alex Kane, commentator Ursula Savage, and by Belfast Telegraph reporter Andrew Madden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The IRA's internal security unit, responsible for hunting down informers and executing them, was known as 'The Nutting Squad'. Ruthless, cruel, efficient, but riddled with informers - promoting questions, who were they actually loyal to? Paddy ‘PM’ Monaghan has been reported as a British agent, making him the third senior member to be suspected of being a double agent. Its top tier also included the likes of Freddie Scappaticci and leader, John Joe Magee, who are both now believed to have been spies themselves. How did this group, who had access to some of the IRA's most guarded secrets become riddled with double agents? Presenter Kevin Doyle is joined by Allison Morris, columnist with the Belfast Telegraph, to look at the brutality of the 'Nutting Squad' and whether its senior ranks were loyal to the IRA or to the British.This podcast was first released in September 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Racism, pure and simple’ - that’s the PSNI’s assessment of an anti-migrant group roaming the streets of east Belfast. The self-styled vigilantes were posting their antics to TikTok, which has now banned them. Sometimes accompanied by dogs the group have been demanding to see IDs, have made threats on doorsteps, and have been enquiring about work-statuses. One the main movers in the group is dog ‘hunter’ Neil Pinkerton. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent, Allison Morris.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billy Wright, 'King Rat’, founded the LVF to defy the UVF. That led to imprisonment. Incredibly Wright was gunned down inside the Maze maximum security prison. How did the INLA get a gun inside the jail and what was the LVF’s bloody response? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph security correspondent, Allison Morris.This podcast was first released in August 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LVF leader Billy Wright was charismatic, religious, ruthless and cold. A sectarian murderer but a hero to many in loyalism. Wright was feared by most but respected by some for ‘taking the war to the IRA’. Where did 'King Rat' come from, how did he live his life and why did he take the lives of others? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent Allison Morris. This podcast was originally released in August 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.