Rephonic
Artwork for The BelTel
Northern Ireland
Noah Donohoe
Belfast
IRA
PSNI
Sinn Féin
Good Friday Agreement
Natalie Mcnally
Stephen Mccullagh
DJ Carey
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Troubles
Stormont
DUP
UVF
Ulster Unionist Party
Ireland
Billy Wright
Bloody Sunday
Presbyterian Church In Ireland

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.

PublishesDailyEpisodes774Founded4 years ago
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Artwork for The BelTel

Latest Episodes

The jury in Noah Donohoe inquest have heard a sixteenth week of evidence. The schoolboy was just 14 when his naked body was found in the storm drain tunnel on June 27, 2020. He had been missing for six days.

On Thursday, an expert witness gave tes... more

In 1920 a momentous decision was finalised - three Ulster counties, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan would not be included in the new Northern Ireland. It was felt that the new entity would be more secure without those counties which had nationalist major... more

Tattle Life is a self-described “commentary website”. Supporters of the site say it’s free speech, protects consumers, and that influencers are fair game, with the website saying it has a zero-tolerance policy to any abusive, hateful or harmful cont... more

Fianna Fáil has turned the ripe old age of 100. But is the house that Éamon de Valera built in disarray? Irish Independent political correspondent John Downing reckons “they’re a very pale, poor shadow of what they were”. So, how did Dev shape the pa... more

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Accepts Guests
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Recent Guests

John Downing
Political correspondent with the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
Episode: 100 years of Fianna Fáil: The highs, the lows, the controversies
David Graham
Former DUP councillor, former advisor to Education Minister Peter Weir; political commentator; formerly worked for Linfield and Rangers
DUP, political commentator
Episode: David Graham: When my kids are 40 there won’t have been border poll, but unionism needs a reset
Sam McBride
Northern Ireland editor
The BelTel
Episode: Kew Files: Buried for decades, a mother’s harrowing letter amid officials’ Bloody Sunday papers
Suzanne Breen
Political editor at The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph
Episode: Suzanne Breen on the ‘DUP Civil War’ - five years on
Jonathan McKee
Director, Department for Infrastructure
Department for Infrastructure
Episode: Noah Donohoe Inquest: ‘I’ve f***ked it’ - Stormont employee’s panic over unlocked hatch
Brenda Campbell
Counsel for the coroner's inquest
KSC / Coroner's Court
Episode: Noah Donohoe Inquest: ‘I’ve f***ked it’ - Stormont employee’s panic over unlocked hatch
David McCann
Politics lecturer and commentator
Brown O'Connor; Slugger O'Toole
Episode: David McCann on the challenges facing Sinn Féin and a United Ireland
Conor Ferguson
Olympic swimmer and co-founder of Athlete Hub
Athlete Hub
Episode: Bonus: Olympic Swimmer Conor Ferguson: How to How to turn setbacks into business lessons | In Good Company
Gillian Halliday
Deputy Features Editor
The Bel Tel
Episode: Julia Holmes: The Castlederg woman, her many aliases, and the lives she destroyed

Hosts

Abdullah Sabri
Host of The Bel Tel
Ciarán Dunbar
Host of The BelTel

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 326 ratings
  • Rather death centric

    A good podcast when I do listen, which is typically for insight regarding northern Irish history and culture that’s hard to get anywhere else. Especially recently though, the majority of episodes are meticulously reporting on deaths and murders past and present — much like a lot of other NI media — for which I turn straight off.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Mach3turbo
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Noah Inquest

    Liam Tunney is hurling a blinder in his reporting. The show is generally excellent!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jerimiah1983
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Superficial

    Plenty of chat but very little information. Also-the headlines can be misleading.

    You travel hopefully but arrive with nothing. Disappointing!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Mac an tSionnaigh
    United States5 months ago
  • Never miss an episode

    I love listening to the podcast everyday. Nice mix of topics and stories.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Séamus Magee
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Superficial

    Plenty of chat but very little information. Also-the headlines can be misleading and disappointing.

    You travel hopefully but arrive with nothing. Disappointing!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Mac an tSionnaigh
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some critique bias and call for objectivity.
Listeners value the depth and context from investigative reporting.
Requests for longer episodes and better pacing.
Guests and hosts praised for interviews and coverage.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#248
United States/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#26
United Kingdom/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#159
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#241
Canada/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#117
Australia/News/Daily News
Apple Podcasts
#242
Italy/News/Daily News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bonus: Olympic Swimmer Conor Ferguson: How to How to turn setbacks into business lessons | In Good Company
Q: Who is the customer for Athlete Hub and how will buying work?
High-performance sports teams are the customers; teams invest in data-driven infrastructure, while individual athletes are end users. The model focuses on centralizing multiple staff roles online to support decision-making for large rosters.
Bonus: Olympic Swimmer Conor Ferguson: How to How to turn setbacks into business lessons | In Good Company
Q: Who are your co-founders and how do you work together as friends and athletes?
Matt Richards and Jack McMillan bring complementary Olympic-level expertise; they've trained together since childhood and now collaborate closely on product decisions, balancing differing opinions with customer feedback to steer development.
Bonus: Olympic Swimmer Conor Ferguson: How to How to turn setbacks into business lessons | In Good Company
Q: What was your initial feeling as someone who's so disciplined? How do you control natural human reactions and emotions?
The focus was on staying grounded and turning disappointment into a driver for improvement, including digging into what the body responds to and using data to guide daily decisions rather than letting emotions drive every outcome.
'The Child Snatcher': Who was serial killer Robert Black?
Q: What made him able to operate across regions and evade early detection?
His mobility as a delivery driver, the absence of modern forensics and technology at the time, and his ability to blend into ordinary settings with a non-threatening appearance.
'The Child Snatcher': Who was serial killer Robert Black?
Q: Who was Robert Black?
A serial killer whose crimes spanned at least a decade, characterized by a lack of conventional traits and a willingness to use his delivery-driver role and van to approach and abduct victims, with abuse and psychological factors contributing to his behavior.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The BelTel

What is The BelTel about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content centers on crime, politics, and current events in Northern Ireland, framed by in-depth courtroom coverage, inquests, and investigative reporting. Episodes frequently feature live courtroom analysis, expert witness perspectives (including pathologists and investigators), and long-form interviews that unpack both recent incidents and historical events. The cadence tends toward forensic detail, nuanced debate, and a focus on accountability, governance, and media coverage. A notable strength is assembling a mix of journalists, researchers, and occasional family voices to provide multiple angles on complex stories, making it useful for listeners who want thorough context beyond headlines and for potential guests or sponsors seeking a... more

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How many listeners does The BelTel get?

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How many subscribers and views does The BelTel have?

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Which podcasts are similar to The BelTel?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The BelTel:

1. The Troubles Podcast
2. The Indo Daily
3. Crime World
4. The State of Us
5. Shattered Lives

How many episodes of The BelTel are there?

The BelTel launched 4 years ago and published 774 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The BelTel?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The BelTel?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The BelTel from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The BelTel?

Recent guests on The BelTel include:

1. John Downing
2. David Graham
3. Sam McBride
4. Suzanne Breen
5. Jonathan McKee
6. Brenda Campbell
7. David McCann
8. Conor Ferguson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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