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The BelTel

Belfast Telegraph
The BelTel
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871 episodes

  • The BelTel

    Families search for truth over 1983 south Armagh murders

    17/08/2026 | 29 mins.
    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 informer recruited by Captain Robert Nairac helped set up their loved ones. They say this man later fled Northern Ireland after Freddie Scappaticci tipped off MI5 that his identity had been compromised.

    The story was broken by our political editor, Suzanne Breen.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    Culture war rages in the wake of Prof Jason Arday resignation

    14/08/2026 | 36 mins.
    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.

    Parts of his CV were rubbished, and his most implausible claims about his personal life and achievements ridiculed.

    Arday resigned from Cambridge last week saying he was under an "unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack".

    The controversy sparked intense debate. While allegations against Arday became a focal point for right-wing press and far-right groups online, many academics argued the case has been caught up in a wider culture war.

    Ciaran Dunbar is joined by Kurtis Reid, to talk about Jason Arday – what he says, and what his detractors and defenders say.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    Fleadh Cheoil hailed as an enormous success for Belfast

    12/08/2026 | 40 mins.
    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, and can any lessons be learned?

    Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter, and fleadh veteran, Liam Tunney, and by Business Editor Margaret Canning.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    Inside the court as alleged godfather Daniel Kinahan charged and jailed

    11/08/2026 | 19 mins.
    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 Justice.

    Perhaps the most surprising aspect, however, was the alleged criminal kingpin’s affable back and forth with the judge.

    So, where does Daniel Kinahan go from here?

    The Irish Independent’s news and security correspondent, Robin Schiller, was present to see it all unfold. He joined Kevin Doyle to break it down.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    'Where have all the Prods gone?': 'Exodus' from Londonderry 'ignored'

    10/08/2026 | 29 mins.
    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”.

    The report is called “Where have all the Prods gone?” Conflict and Displacement — The PUL Exodus and its impact in Londonderry.

    Ciarán Dunbar spoke to the report's author Terry Wright, and to Brian Dougherty, CEO of the North-West Cultural Partnership which commissioned and published it.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About The BelTel
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.
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