The BelTel

IRA leader Rory O’Connor was once a close comrade of fellow republican Michael Collins and Kevin O’Higgins - indeed he was O’Higgins best man.

But just over a year later after the wedding, O’Higgins signed his friend’s death warrant.
O’Connor’s execution along with Liam Mellows, Dick Barrett and Joe McKelvey, added to the bitterness of Ireland’s civil war and made O’Connor a republican martyr, albeit a forgotten one.

In ‘To defend the Republic’, the first biography of O’Connor’s life, historian Gerard Shannon tells the story of this enigmatic IRA figure.
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UPDATE: Victims drop High Court claim against Gerry Adams over IRA bombings

For decades, Gerry Adams has denied being a member of the Provisional IRA. Now, for the first time, that claim is being challenged in an English courtroom. Three men, all victims of separate IRA bombings, have taken civil action against the former Sinn Féin leader for the symbolic sum of £1 in damages.

Host: Tessa Fleming, Guests: Kurtis Reid, John Downing.
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The man accused of murdering Natalie McNally “lied and lied again”, a barrister has told Belfast Crown Court.
Delivering his closing statement in the case, prosecuting barrister Charles MacCreanor KC reminded the jury that the accused Stephen McCullagh had chosen not to give evidence to his trial.
However, defence barrister John Kearney KC said the case against Stephen McCullagh is “dependent upon circumstantial evidence”.
There are “troubling” aspects of the prosecution case against the man accused of murdering Natalie McNally that point “towards some other killer”, he said.
36-year-old McCullagh denies killing Natalie McNally (32), who was found dead at her home in Lurgan on December 18, 2022.
The Belfast Telegraph’s Crime Correspondent Allison Morris is covering the case.

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A witness says the unusual behaviour exhibited by Noah Donohoe prior to his disappearance could be associated with synthetic cannabinoids or a mental health condition.
The jury at the inquest into the teenager’s death heard evidence from the toxicologists on Wednesday.
Noah’s body was discovered in north Belfast on 27 June2020 - six days after the St Malachy’s College student went missing.
The inquest is now in its eighth week of hearing evidence. Liam Tunney has been covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.
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This time last year, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin was grasping an American-flag emblazoned short straw, playing second fiddle to Conor McGregor as our disgraced UFC representative took the St Patrick’s Day podium.

Now that the Taoiseach has been restored to March 17 parity, he has one hell of a job on his hands. What kind of reception awaits him in Donald Trump’s Oval Office next week?

Host: Kevin Doyle
Guest: Mary Regan
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