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The BelTel

Belfast Telegraph
The BelTel
Latest episode

897 episodes

  • The BelTel

    Drumcree: No deal over Garvaghy march, £3m spent so far, O'Neill defiant

    01/10/2026 | 30 mins.
    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 Jamie Bryson and Carla Lockhart said the Portadown district won’t be accepting any deal that sees them walk away from their right to parade down the Garvaghy Road.
    Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald and First Minister Michelle O’Neill were back on the Garvaghy road with residents on Wednesday – with the First Minister saying that standing on the road with residents on Sunday was "the right thing to do".
    Meanwhile, the leaders of the DUP and UUP say they expect to see prosecutions over the protest in the next few days.
    Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Kevin Scott, Kurtis Reid, and Allison Morris.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    The mistake that left ‘Slab' Murphy with a big bill and a massive problem

    29/09/2026 | 29 mins.
    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. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    Drumcree: nationalist and unionist camps completely divided over Garvaghy march

    28/09/2026 | 41 mins.
    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 brought Northern Ireland to the political brink.
    Unionists accuse nationalists of not accepting the rule of law, while nationalists accuse unionists of unnecessarily opening an old wound.
    Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride and Allison Morris and hears from Claire Dickson in Portadown, and from Andrew Madden in Stormont.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    Siobhán Fenton: Former insider on Sinn Féin' ideological conundrums

    27/09/2026 | 47 mins.
    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 biggest party on the island.

    What goes on inside of one of Ireland’s most secretive party, and how is the new generation of Sinn Féin staff changing the party?

    After five years working for Sinn Fein, Siobhán Fenton was ruthlessly dumped, learning that she was being ditched through a media report in 2025.

    She has released the book ‘Ourselves alone: Sinn Féin behind closed doors’ - and she joined Sam McBride on the BelTel.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • The BelTel

    Drumcree: Orange Order to march Garvaghy road again after 28 years

    25/09/2026 | 27 mins.
    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 by the Belfast Telegraph's security correspondent, Allison Morris.
    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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