

The BelTel
Belfast Telegraph
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 6, 2023 • 24min
John DeLorean: The rise and fall of the man who brought the future back to Belfast
John DeLorean was an eccentric but brilliant engineer. He had remarkable success in the US automotive industry, but he dreamed of striking out by himself and building a futuristic sports car. Incredibly, he was enticed to build that car in Belfast in the middle of the Troubles. Hollywood brought the DeLorean to the big Screen and the car, despite its obvious flaws, gained an iconic status.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 3, 2023 • 36min
The murder of Robert McCartney and the IRA cover up
Robert McCartney was murdered by members of the IRA in January 2005; he died after being stabbed in the street outside a bar in Belfast. Like many other murders, the IRA might have hoped that it would eventually blow over, it did not, it became an international news story. Two of his sisters tell Suzanne Breen what they thought of the subsequent criminal trials, and if they think they were used by politicians. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 1, 2023 • 29min
What is the Windsor Framework and will it be enough for the DUP?
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has triumphantly declared his new Brexit deal with the EU – the Windsor Framework. What exactly does it entail, how does it differ from the NI Protocol, what does it mean for business and of course, will it be enough for the DUP to allow Stormont to return? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by commentators David McCann and Sarah Creighton, the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride and from the business team, Alyson Magee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 28, 2023 • 23min
Allison Morris on the New IRA threat after Omagh shooting
The New IRA has claimed responsibility for the attempted murder of PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh. A typed statement plastered on a wall in Derry and signed by ‘T O’Neill’, the name used by the dissident republican group in the past, said it was behind it. It included a warning that the group will continue to target what it calls ‘Crown Forces’. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s security correspondent, Allison Morris, with the latest on this story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 27, 2023 • 18min
‘The Firm’ - Lurgan and Portadown’s cross-community crime gang
The crime gang known as ‘The Firm’ has something different about it, it's a cross-community crew. Based in the Lurgan and Portadown areas, the Firm includes former members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force as well as people with republican connections. The gang is heavily involved in drugs – and police allege they are connected to two murders. The Belfast Telegraph’s crime correspondent, Allison Morris, joins Ciarán Dunbar, to explain more about the groupSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 24, 2023 • 22min
What makes a serial killer and why are we fascinated by them?
Books, films, documentary series – the serial killer market is hugely profitable. We just can get enough of murder, horror and psychopaths. Why is that? To try and answer some of those questions, Ciarán Dunbar spoke to Craig Jackson, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology, at Birmingham City University. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 23, 2023 • 13min
High profile PSNI detective critical after suspected New IRA gun attack
A high-profile senior detective is in a critical condition after gunmen tried to murder him in Omagh, Co Tyrone. PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot in front of his son at a sporting complex. The police are pointing the finger of blame at the New IRA. Ciarán Dunbar joined by the Sunday Life News Editor Sharon O’Neill with the detailsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 22, 2023 • 20min
Sean Fox: Drugs boss murdered ‘after protection money for dissidents not passed on’
The murder of Sean Fox in October 2022 sent shockwaves through Belfast and beyond. The Belfast Telegraph now understands that Sean Fox believed he was safe, as he was paying off a dissident republican organisation, but it now seems that money never reached them. The 42-year-old was gunned down by two assassins, in a crowded public place, on a Sunday afternoon. It was latest in a series of murders linked to drug-dealing and the so-called ‘Marbella Crew’. The Belfast Telegraph’s crime correspondent Allison Morris tells Ciarán the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 2023 • 25min
Wagner: Putin's private army of prisoners
Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, formerly Vladimir Putin’s chef, leads Russia’s private military, the Wagner Group. Russia’s advances in eastern Ukraine have been spearheaded by Prigozhin’s troops backed by thousands of ‘volunteers’ he sourced from Russia's prisons. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Angus Lambkin, an expert in Humanitarian Civil-Military cooperation and international relations to discuss Prigozhin’s rise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17, 2023 • 19min
Nicola Sturgeon: why has the Scottish FM decided to go?
Nicola Sturgeon is resigning as Scottish First Minister and as leader of the SNP saying it is the best step for herself, for her party and for Scotland. What does this mean for the country, for her party and its independence drive - and could it have an impact here in Northern Ireland? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by politics lecturer and commentator, David McCann, to discuss Nicola Sturgeon’s legacy and why she has decided to go.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.