The BelTel

Holy Cross 25-years-on: Allison Morris on what she saw, and the loyalist point of view

The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, but certain areas of Belfast felt little effect of peace. In September 2001, the Holy Cross dispute became one of the most

David Sullivan: The mystery of the headless alleged paedophile’s murder

In September 2000 a body was found in a bog in Fermanagh. This was not a so called ‘bog-body’, sacrificed long ago -  the body turned out to belong to local bus driver Da

God, Religion, the Troubles, and Christian Peacebuilding

For much of the world, the Troubles in Northern Ireland were about Catholics and Protestants fighting each other. With those labels being used as shorthand to this day to

“Everything that I was told was a lie”: Lauren Bradford-Clarke, Colin Howell’s daughter

Lauren Bradford-Clarke grew up believing her mother Lesley had taken her own life before finding out the truth – her father was a murderer. She was told her mum Lesley to

The IRA’s infamous escape from Belfast’s prison ship, the HMS Maidstone

HMS Maidstone, an ex-Royal Navy Ship, was used in the early 1970s to hold internees. In January 1972, a group of IRA prisoners swam 270 meters through an ice-cold Belfas

Drumcree: The crisis over an Orange parade which brought NI to the brink

The Parades Commission acted wrongly in blocking Orangemen from seeking to march down a mainly nationalist road in Portadown, a court has ruled. Senior figures at Portad

Maura Lyons: The Rev Ian Paisley and the 15-year-old 'abducted' from west Belfast

The Rev Ian Paisley rose to prominence as the face of hardline unionism but the first time some would have heard of him would have been in connection with Maura Lyons.

‘Peace at last’: The 1994 Loyalist Ceasefires

On the 13 October 1994, six weeks after the IRA announced a ‘complete cessation’, the Loyalist paramilitary groups declared their ceasefires. The UVF’s Gusty Spence ann

Jon Burrows and the UUP in a fix as Mike Nesbitt resigns

The UUP's Mike Nesbitt has resigned as health minister – with a stinging public resignation letter aimed at his UUP leader Jon Burrows The row is over retaining emergenc

'It’s Over’: The 1994 IRA 'ceasefire'

After 25 years of what it termed ‘Armed Struggle’ and the ‘Long War’ , the Provisional IRA called a “complete cessation of military operations” on 31st August 1994 – 30 y

Families search for truth over 1983 south Armagh murders

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

Culture war rages in the wake of Prof Jason Arday resignation

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 A

Fleadh Cheoil hailed as an enormous success for Belfast

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

Inside the court as alleged godfather Daniel Kinahan charged and jailed 

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 cin

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

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

Mystery as News Letter editor Ben Lowry dumped – and won't be replaced

Ben Lowry is no longer the editor of the News Letter. The outspoken commentator was removed from his position without explanation.  Mr Lowry had spent 19 years at what i

New IRA: Republican terror group active on both sides of the border

The seizure last week of a bomb containing almost 400g of Semtex plastic explosive has put the New IRA back on to the front pages after a lull in violence. Two people co

West Belfast accountant blames office arson on death driver's friends

A west Belfast Accountant whose business was destroyed in an arson attack is blaming associates of a convicted death driver.   Tim ‘Timo’ Molloy says people close to Mar

LucidTalk Polling: DUP's support tanks in Donaldson aftermath

The DUP's support has slumped disastrously – that's according to the latest Belfast Telegraph / LucidTalk polling.  The dramatic fall in backing for the party comes in th

The alleged New IRA bomb plot, the law student and the museum worker 

A “significant” bomb built for “catastrophic” damage, and a suspected plot to bring violence to the north-west of Northern Ireland. The foiling of an alleged New IRA plot