When a lone Garda decided to arrest a squad of SAS men found in the Republic of Ireland on 1976, little did he know he had sparked an international incident which would involve the Taoiseach and Prime Minister – or that it would see the Irish government interfere with the justice system. Top secret files have revealed how the PM drew up a law to let two SAS men go on the run from the Irish and that Dublin were determined that the soldiers would never do time. 

Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride discovered the file at the National Archives in Kew, London.  

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.

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Kew Files: What happened when the Garda arrested the SAS men 

The jury at the inquest on the death of Noah Donohoe has now heard an 11th week of evidence. Noah had been missing for six days after leaving his home in south Belfast before his body was discovered in a north Belfast culvert. 

On Monday, an expert witness said it is likely that the 14-year-old died close to midnight on the day he went missing, as the tide rose in the culvert. A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was likely to be drowning. 

On Thursday, the jury heard members of the public present at the search ‘were angry at police’ as ‘conspiracy theories’ were ‘floating about’. 

Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph. 

Noah Donohoe: Expert believes teen likely died the night he went missing 

On a spring morning in June 2001 an eight-year-old girl gathers moss for her grandmother’s hanging baskets in a forest near Ballinamore in Co Leitrim. The child lets out a scream, she had discovered a body.  The remains belonged to Enniskillen businessman, Gerry McGinley and it was clear that he been murdered.  
He had been killed by his own wife Julie and her lover, in fact they were already in custody over it.  But it wasn’t a simple tale of adultery. It involved hotel sex with strangers, lies, blackmail and videotape – and included many prominent people in Fermanagh.  

Andrew Madden researched this sordid story for the Belfast Telegraph. 

Sex, lies and video tape: Julie McGinley and the murder of husband Gerry McGinley in Fermanagh  

30 years on from the violent killing of publican Tom Nevin, part two of this special podcast looks at how Nevin's wife, Catherine Nevin, emerged as the prime suspect; the murder trial and media blitz that followed; and why Ireland’s ‘Black Widow’ still fascinates us to this day.  

Host: Fionnán Sheahan  
Guest: Mary Wilson  

Kew Files: What happened when the Garda arrested the SAS men

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