It was supposed to be an oral record of the Troubles, made by those who were there.

Initially, the ‘Boston Tapes’ project seemed like a good idea, albeit one which would unavoidably include descriptions of violence and terror.

The concept was simple – former paramilitaries would be interviewed; the tapes would then be kept in storage, and their stories only revealed after the interviewees' deaths.

However, it became clear that the scheme was flawed and that the recordings were not as secret as participants had assumed.

Earlier this year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that the Boston College tapes archive has been formally closed - and will remain shut for 75 years from when it was first created.

On this episode, host Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter, Andrew Madden, to look at what went wrong with the project and why the records have been sealed.

This episode is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel and was first released in April 2026.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

It was supposed to be an oral record of the Troubles, made by those who were there.
Initially, the ‘Boston Tapes’ project seemed like a good idea, albeit one which would unavoidably include descriptions of violence and terror.
The concept was simple – former paramilitaries would be interviewed; the tapes would then be kept in storage, and their stories only revealed after the interviewees' deaths.
However, it became clear that the scheme was flawed and that the recordings were not as secret as participants had assumed.
Earlier this year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that the Boston College tapes archive has been formally closed - and will remain shut for 75 years from when it was first created.
On this episode, host Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter, Andrew Madden, to look at what went wrong with the project and why the records have been sealed.
This episode is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel and was first released in April 2026.
The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at <a href="https://independent.ie/ourjournalism" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">independent.ie/ourjournalism</a>

Stay in the know, on the go. The Indo Daily brings you in-depth, 20 minute stories that fit into your day.

Heard the news? The Indo Daily takes you beyond t…