The BelTel

Gerard Conway was last seen in Cookstown in 2007. The 32-year-old father-of-one was recorded on CCTV at a bank in the town on the 25th of January. He was officially reported missing by his family on 13th of February. Despite searches, he has never been seen since. What happened to Gerard remains a mystery, but the coroner is satisfied he is dead. An inquest has heard from family, friends and witnesses. Several of them, believed that there is a possibility that he had been murdered.   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter Kurtis Reid. 

The PSNI have broken its silence on claims that it spied on journalist Donal MacIntyre, who is investing the death of teenager Noah Donohoe.  The Chief Constable Jon Boucher says that “No Journalistic material was viewed, recorded, or sought by the PSNI”. He says that the PSNI only accessed information that was publicly posted on two X accounts. The PSNI also now denies breaking into the investigative journalist’s car – after they initially refused to comment. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride, who has been following the story. 

The New IRA is in secret peace negations with the British and Irish governments. But the group’s leadership, who were previously arrested in an MI5 sting, is understood to be at loggerheads with hardliners over whether they should abandon their armed campaign. The New IRA is currently the most active of the dissident groups and is responsible for at least seven murders. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Allison Morris, who broke the story. 

The tragic and highly unusual nature of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe’s death in 2020, along with criticism of the police search for him, had led to substantial public concern, speculation, and anger. Two years ago, investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre began investigating the disappearance and the circumstances around it. A source has now told the Belfast Telegraph that as Mr MacIntyre began his work, the PSNI moved to put him under significant online surveillance. He says he is “disappointed but not shocked” at the PSNI allegedly spying on him.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride, who broke the story. 

Journalist Martin Dillon disputes the ending of the ‘Say Nothing’ tv show depicting the murder of Jean McConville. In his new book ‘The Sorrow and the Loss: The Tragic Shadow Cast by the Troubles on the Lives of Women’, he writes about people like Caroline Moreland, shot as an informer just weeks before the IRA ceasefire – he believes Martin McGuinness must have known about it. Mairead Farrell killed by the SAS in Gibraltar despite being well-known to the security services also features in the book. Martin Dillon joins Ciarán Dunbar, to talk about his latest work. 

Alliance was founded in 1970. Originally a strongly pro-union party before becoming agnostic on the border. 55 years later the party still exists and still seeks, as it would see it, to unite Northern Ireland. Who founded the party and why, what challenges has it faced, and how did it go from supporting the union to being agnostic on the question that dominates our politics? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Professor Jon Tonge. 

Suzanne Breen joins Ciarán Dunbar to go through the Belfast Telegraph’s latest LucidTalk polling, including the narrowing gap between support for the union and a united Ireland, Sinn Féin’s decision to decline this year’s White House visit, and potential pay rises for MLAs.

There are fears of further bloodshed after an attempt on the life of a dissident republican in west Belfast. Taxi driver Sean O’Reilly was shot in the shoulder in Poleglass on Sunday. The shooting comes amid an escalating feud between factions of Óglaigh na hÉireann, better known as ONH. So far, the tensions have played out with graffiti and accusations on social media. But this shooting has sparked fears of retaliation.  Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph security correspondent - Allison Morris.  

William Hampton was a nomadic millionaire famously described by Leo Varadkar “a vagabond who lived in a caravan”. Hampton left most of his fortune to Sinn Fein. Unsurprisingly – the party were happy to take the money, and equally unsurprisingly their rivals were quick to criticise that, especially given that the money went north. Now Sinn Féin is set to take in over £80k after a derelict cottage in County Carlow was found to belong to Hampton. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Andrew Madden.