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 (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
What this show covers
Northern Ireland politicsDrumcreeNorthern IrelandGarvaghy RoadOrange OrderSinn FéinJeffrey DonaldsonPortadownIrish politicsSt Andrews AgreementPower-sharingDUPindustrial farmingagriculture policyenvironment
What listeners will find here
How St Andrews reshaped Northern Ireland politics for the next 20 years
The St Andrews Agreement marked a turning point in Northern Ireland, bringing the DUP and Ian Paisley into the peace process and Sinn Féin behind policing. This episode looks at how those changes locked in a new power-sharing era and reshaped Stormont politics.
Andrew Muir on how cheap meat policy turned green fields into an environmental crisis
Industrial agriculture in Northern Ireland is the focus as Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir discusses what he calls a catastrophic policy failure. The episode examines how the drive for cheap meat went wrong and whether current efforts risk reinforcing the same system.
How a 2020 phone-network hack is still toppling NI drug dealers
Encrochat and its long aftershock in Northern Ireland are the focus here, as recent prison sentences continue to hit major figures in the drug trade. Ciarán Dunbar and crime correspondent Allison Morris look at how a secret platform’s messages are still sending gangsters to Maghaberry.
Drumcree’s political fallout takes center stage with Suzanne Breen
The Drumcree stand-off and the Garvaghy residents’ challenge are driving a sharp political divide. Suzanne Breen joins Ciarán Dunbar to look at the court battle, the strain on community relations, and the SDLP’s move against Justin McNulty in Armagh.
Jeffrey Donaldson’s fall from Westminster power to prison life in Maghaberry
Jeffrey Donaldson’s life after conviction is the focus here, from his daily routine in Maghaberry to the sale of his former Dromore home. The episode also looks at the legal stakes he still faces as prosecutors seek a lengthy prison term.
Episodes
Drumcree: nationalist and unionist camps completely divided over Garvaghy march
28 Sept 2026 · 41 min
