True crime stories.
True crime stories.
In November 1938 Jewish shops and businesses are brutally attacked in several days of pogroms in what became known as Kristillnacht. Charles’ position of trying to build good relations with the Nazi leadership now becomes untenable. He has a bruising showdown with his cousin, Winston Churchill, at a social event in London. In private, he acknowledges that he has failed in his efforts to be an architect of peace like his illustrious ancestor, Lord Castlereagh. World War Two begins in September 1939 and Charles and Edith go back to Mount Stewart in County Down. But it follows them to the shores of Strangford Lough as German bombers target Newtownards Airfield in 1941, killing 13 air cadets - mainly young men. Charles attends the funeral of one of them, realising that the war he struggled to avoid is now a reality. He uses his skills as a pilot to help train young men in flying but in 1945 he is involved in a near-fatal glider accident. The war ends in victory - but Charles’ health is in decline. He is asked to give written evidence by the defence team for Joachim von Ribbentrop at the Nuremberg trials. The Nazi Minister for Foreign Affairs claims he always tried to steer Hitler towards a more limited war. Ten years on from the Ribbentrop’s visit to Mount Stewart, Charles gives scrupulously accurate evidence which does not corroborate the Nazi’s claims of being a peace-maker. A death sentence is passed and Ribbentrop dies by a lengthy hanging. Charles himself dies three years later, aged 70 and is buried at Mount Stewart in the family plot, Tír Na nÓg - ‘the land of youth’. Striking up personal relationships with Nazi leadership had come to define his legacy. It had caused huge turmoil in his life but now, finally, he is at peace.
Prominent Nazi, Joachim von Ribbentrop, visits the Londonderrys again – this time at their stately home in the North East of England. But the German ambassador is on the point of giving a Nazi salute in Durham Cathedral and just in time Charles, Lord Londonderry, grabs his arm to avoid an embarrassing scandal. Charles’ friendly relations with senior Nazis are threatening to destroy his public reputation and he was is not the only one. The Nazis prove to be a source of huge fascination for the Anglo-Irish aristocracy at this time - some are drawn to them while others are repelled. Either way, they cannot be ignored. This is true particularly of Charles Londonderry as he made makes a total of six trips between 1936 and 1938 to meet them. Yet his awareness of the threat that a strong, militarised Germany poses is acute. The Anschluss uniting Germany and Austria became becomes one more example of this and German moves that constantly pull the rug from under Charles’ one-man diplomatic strategy. Charles had previously lost his job as Air Minister in Westminster in 1935 when it emerged that he had seriously underestimated German military air strength. Charles was distraught and disputed that any fault lay with him until till the end of his life. His sacking wounded him deeply and consequntly he forms a plan with Edith to forge links with the Nazis to bring them into the European family of nations – following in the footsteps of Lord Castlereagh. Charles believes in diplomacy and negotiation – but injured pride also plays a huge part in his actions as the clouds of war gather. When British PM Joseph Chamberlain flies to Munich to meet Hitler and sign a peace agreement in 1938, Charles believes he has finally been vindicated. But only a few weeks later, Germany invades its neighbour Czechoslovakia. The world waits for war.
Spring 1936. A man falls into Strangford Lough and has to be fished out. It is a huge humiliation for Hitler’s leading diplomat, Joachim von Ribbentrop. But some say this story is just a myth. Claims and counter-claims swirl around Charles, Marquess of Londonderry and his wife Edith because of their friendly relations with high-ranking Nazis. The mystery of whether Ribbentrop fell into the water on a weekend trip to Mount Stewart house in Co Down typifies how accounts of the Londonderrys can diverge wildly. Earlier in 1936, the Londonderrys had visited Berlin to meet Hitler and Herman Goring at lavish social events. Incredibly, they have brought their 14 year old daughter, Lady Mairi, who ends up chatting with Hitler about a comedy film they have both seen. After the trip there are adoring letters sent to thank the Nazis for their lavish hospitality. But clouds are gathering. Just days after their return, German troops march into the Rhineland – a move strictly forbidden by the Versailles treaty that concluded WW1. Is Europe on the brink of another war? Charles believes Germany in in the right and he and Edith make more visits to Germany. But when they invite Ribbentrop to Mount Stewart it is for many a step too far and the criticism in Westminster and in public opinion is intense. However, Charles thinks that Germany can be reigned in – IF they can be brought to the international negotiating table. He is inspired by his famous ancestor, Lord Castlereagh who redrew the map of Europe to bring a century of peace after the Napoleonic Wars. But no one in government wants to listen to him and his own antisemitism begs the question of whether he has more in common with the Nazis than he thinks.
A retired police officer looks back on his younger days, catching criminals and working cases on the streets of West Belfast. As the city awakens from World War II, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background, Constable Jack Walsh must navigate the narrow streets of the ‘Loney’ in search of petty thieves and criminals – meeting a cast of colourful, eccentric and dangerous characters along the way Episode 6 – To Catch a Thief A series of low level thefts leave local police puzzled, and Constable Jack’s informers on the ground can’t help either – till a lead from a local prostitute proves vital. Meanwhile, a greyhound trainer schemes with a vet to win a big race – and a flag in a window brings trouble to the streets of Belfast
A retired police officer looks back on his younger days, catching criminals and working cases on the streets of West Belfast. As the city awakens from World War II, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background, Constable Jack Walsh must navigate the narrow streets of the ‘Loney’ in search of petty thieves and criminals – meeting a cast of colourful, eccentric and dangeous characters along the way.
Episode 5 – Down the Courts
On his way to give evidence in court against a car thief, Constable Jack bumps into an old friend who needs a favour – a friend who Jack first met many years before, while investigating the theft of a bunch of bananas. Meanwhile – a late night ‘fancy dress’ party puts Jack in an awkward position.
Based on interviews with a retired police officer and featuring:
Constable Jack Walsh - Andrew McCracken (as the young Constable Walsh) John & Vet - Christopher Grant Mr Grimes, Belfast Corporation - Marty Maguire Molly - Antoinette Morelli
Additional voices provided by cast
A BBC Northern Ireland Production
A retired police officer looks back on his younger days, catching criminals and working cases on the streets of West Belfast.
As the city awakens from World War II, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background, Constable Jack Walsh must navigate the narrow streets of the ‘Loney’ in search of petty thieves and criminals – meeting a cast of colourful, eccentric and dangerous characters along the way.
Episode 4 – The Crystal Ball
A World War II veteran brings Belfast city centre to a standstill, while pick pockets roam the side streets in search of an easy victim – but it’s a search for a fortune teller’s glass ball that leads Constable Walsh to a unscrupulous pawn broker with a taste for stolen goods.
Based on interviews with a retired police officer and featuring:
Constable Jack Walsh - Andrew McCracken (as the young Constable Walsh) The Joker & Eugene - Faolán Morgan Madame Margaret - Antoinette Morelli Ms O'Hara - Eimear Bailie Maisie - Tierna McNally Sam - Jonathan Harden
Additional voices provided by cast
A BBC Northern Ireland Production
A retired police officer looks back on his younger days, catching criminals and working cases on the streets of West Belfast.
As the city awakens from World War II, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background, Constable Jack Walsh must navigate the narrow streets of the ‘Loney’ in search of petty thieves and criminals – meeting a cast of colourful, eccentric and dangerous characters along the way.
Episode 3 – Night Shift
As he starts the night shift, Constable Walsh heads into the red light district and has an awkward encounter with a city VIP. Following a street fight involving an empty coffin, Jack has an eerie experience at the local mortuary – all part of a night filled with the strange and wonderful characters who only appear after dark.
Based on interviews with a retired police officer and featuring:
Cast:
Constable Jack Walsh – Andrew McCracken (as the young Constable Walsh) Maggie & Cat Lady - Aoibhéann McCann VIP & Dr McGrath – Christopher Grant Mary – Tierna McNally William – Marty Maguire
Additional voices provided by cast
Producer - Conor McKay A BBC Northern Ireland Production
A retired police officer looks back on his younger days, catching criminals and working cases on the streets of West Belfast. As the city awakens from World War II, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background, Constable Jack Walsh must navigate the narrow streets of the ‘Loney’ in search of petty thieves and criminals – meeting a cast of colourful, eccentric and dangerous characters along the way.
Episode 2 – The Money Lender
Walking the local beat, Constable Walsh soon learns of a ruthless money lender holding some of the area’s poorest families to ransom – and must decide on how to crack the case
Between the Wars is based on real interviews with a retired police officer and also features:
Cast:
Constable Jack Walsh – Andrew McCracken (as the young Constable Walsh) Geraldine - Aoibhéann McCann Shep - Jonathan Harden Mrs Quinn - Tierna McNally Mr Quinn - Faolán Morgan
additional voices provided by cast
Producer - Conor McKay A BBC Northern Ireland production
A retired police officer looks back on his younger days, catching criminals and working cases on the streets of West Belfast.
As the city awakens from World War II, with sectarian tensions simmering in the background, Constable Jack Walsh must navigate the narrow streets of the ‘Loney’ in search of petty thieves and criminals – meeting a cast of colourful, eccentric and dangerous characters along the way.
Episode 1 – The Forger
West Belfast, 1957 – a young RUC constable arrives at Cullingtree road police station. Faced with a violent criminal holding a hostage in a local bar, Constable Walsh hears stories of a mysterious man known as The Forger – but the case is far from straight forward
Between the Wars is based on real interviews with a retired police officer and also features:
Cast: Constable Jack Walsh – Andrew McCracken (as the young Constable Walsh) McKee – Marty Maguire Charlie – Christopher Grant Billy – Faolán Morgan
Producer - Conor McKay A BBC Northern Ireland Production
Episode 2/2 - Corymore
The Mystery Of…Murder, She Wrote peels back the layers of a Hollywood icon to reveal the woman behind the oversized glasses of Jessica Fletcher around what would have been her 100th birthday.
Through interviews with those who knew her, lifelong fan Sarah McGlinchey embarks on a journey to uncover Angela Lansbury’s untold connection to Ireland — the country she turned to in crisis, and the place where her roots stretched across the island, from Belfast to Cork.
Episode 1/2 – Angela Brigid Lansbury
The Mystery Of…Murder, She Wrote peels back the layers of a Hollywood icon to reveal the woman behind the oversized glasses of Jessica Fletcher around what would have been her 100th birthday.
Through interviews with those who knew her, lifelong fan Sarah McGlinchey embarks on a journey to uncover Angela Lansbury’s untold connection to Ireland - the country she turned to in crisis, and the place where her roots stretched across the island, from Belfast to Cork.
Have you ever heard a sound and not quite known what it is? It can be irritating and even unsettling. Now, imagine a lot of people in the same town begin to hear that sound? A hum – one that certainly merits further investigation. Enter self-professed slacker and Omagh-native, Phil Taggart, to get to the bottom of it all. A hard-nosed investigative journalist he is not, but there is no better man to examine the characters and quirks of the county Tyrone town where the strange sounds have been emanating. Across three episodes, Phil meets shopkeepers, scientist, comedians, councillors and musicians, all with a view to uncovering the source of the hum. In the final episode, Phil meets Jamie Ryan who claims to know the exact source of the hum. Will it prove to be an open and shut case or yet another dead end? Phil presses the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on why they aren’t releasing more information about their findings in relation to the hum. He even tracks down the noise specialists the council engaged to locate the sound. Was it really driving some of the townsfolk to distraction? Finally, Phil comes to his own conclusions about this secretive, strange and surreal tale. So keep your ears peeled and your mind open as the investigation reaches its climax.
Have you ever heard a sound and not quite known what it is? It can be irritating and even unsettling. Now, imagine a lot of people in the same town begin to hear that sound? A hum – one that certainly merits further investigation. Enter self-professed slacker and Omagh-native, Phil Taggart, to get to the bottom of it all. A hard-nosed investigative journalist he is not, but there is no better man to examine the characters and quirks of the county Tyrone town where the strange sounds have been emanating. Across three episodes, Phil meets shopkeepers, scientist, comedians, councillors and musicians, all with a view to uncovering the source of the hum. In Episode Two, things take a turn for the weird. The people of Omagh’s imagination runs wild as aliens, wind turbines and secret army activity are all cited as sources of the hum. Phil and his side-kick Muck, turn to man-of-science, Dr Glen MacPherson, for a more grounded answer but are literally left with a headache by what the World Hum expert has to tell them.
Have you ever heard a sound and not quite known what it is? It can be irritating and even unsettling. Now, imagine a lot of people in the same town begin to hear that sound. It is a hum – one that merits further investigation. Enter self-professed slacker and Omagh-native, Phil Taggart, to get to the bottom of it all. A hard-nosed investigative journalist he is not, but there is no better man to examine the characters and quirks of the county Tyrone town where the strange sounds have been emanating. Across three episodes, Phil meets shopkeepers, scientist, comedians, councillors and musicians, all with a view to uncovering the source of the hum. In Episode One, Phil turns to the people of Omagh to gather their theories on the hum. Ideas range from the mundane to the outlandish, while some locals claim it is nothing more than a figment of the town’s imagination. But when an actual recording of the sound finds its way to Phil, the hum begins to create more of a buzz.
Does every urban myth contain a kernel of truth? Rumours have been rife for years that a network of tunnels stacked with barrels of whiskey worth millions of pounds exist under Holywood in County Down. Local journalist Jordan Dunbar is on a mission to distil the truth of it all with the promise of commandeering some precious liquid gold.
In this four-part escapade, Jordan learns about the celebrated Dunville family, whose wealth was built on their whiskey brand that became globally famous during the 19th century. It allowed the family to indulge in acts of opulence and eccentricity well into the 20th century. So, might that just include stacking tunnels full of whiskey barrels that have now been left unopened for decades? In a caper that features hot air balloons, private zoos and whiskey tours, Jordan discovers how the fate of the Dunvilles mirrored the fate of the Irish whiskey industry itself. Historians Jason Burke and Robin Masefield give pause for thought on why the rumours of the whiskey in tunnels might just have to be taken seriously after all. But as Jordan increasingly gets into the ‘spirit’ of it all, can he get any closer to the elusive ‘uisce beatha?’
In this final episode, Jordan discovers how a world war and prohibition in the US affected the fate of the Dunville family. Can the mystery of the Dunvilles’ demise really ever be discovered? Back in the present day, the search for tunnels under Holywood reaches a conclusion with tantalising and surprising results.
Does every urban myth contain a kernel of truth? Rumours have been rife for years that a network of tunnels stacked with barrels of whiskey worth millions of pounds exist under Holywood in County Down. Local journalist Jordan Dunbar is on a mission to distil the truth of it all with the promise of commandeering some precious liquid gold.
In this four-part escapade, Jordan learns about the celebrated Dunville family, whose wealth was built on their whiskey brand that became globally famous during the 19th century. It allowed the family to indulge in acts of opulence and eccentricity well into the 20th century. So, might that just include stacking tunnels full of whiskey barrels that have now been left unopened for decades? In a caper that features hot air balloons, private zoos and whiskey tours, Jordan discovers how the fate of the Dunvilles mirrored the fate of the Irish whiskey industry itself. Historians Jason Burke and Robin Masefield give pause for thought on why the rumours of the whiskey in tunnels might just have to be taken seriously after all. But as Jordan increasingly gets into the ‘spirit’ of it all, can he get any closer to the elusive ‘uisce beatha?’
In this episode, Jordan uncovers what life was like for the the Dunvilles at their peak as the 19th century turned into the twentieth. With a stunning new headquarters in central Belfast and John Dunville marrying into aristocracy, he and his wife Violet became celebrity pioneers of ballooning. But would these extravagant balloonists be the type of people to build tunnels under their mansion? Jordan seeks answers with Alastair Ruffell with a ground-penEtrating radar survey of the White City estate. Jordan has another lead to pursue when a local woman gets into touch with news that she may know where the tunnels are.
Does every urban myth contain a kernel of truth? Rumours have been rife for years that a network of tunnels stacked with barrels of whiskey worth millions of pounds exist under Holywood in County Down. Local journalist Jordan Dunbar is on a mission to distil the truth of it all with the promise of commandeering some precious liquid gold.
In this four-part escapade, Jordan learns about the celebrated Dunville family, whose wealth was built on their whiskey brand that became globally famous during the 19th century. It allowed the family to indulge in acts of opulence and eccentricity well into the 20th century. So, might that just include stacking tunnels full of whiskey barrels that have now been left unopened for decades? In a caper that features hot air balloons, private zoos and whiskey tours, Jordan discovers how the fate of the Dunvilles mirrored the fate of the Irish whiskey industry itself. Historians Jason Burke and Robin Masefield give pause for thought on why the rumours of the whiskey in tunnels might just have to be taken seriously after all. But as Jordan increasingly gets into the ‘spirit’ of it all, can he get any closer to the elusive ‘uisce beatha?’
In this episode, Jordan goes to the site of what was Redburn House built by Robert Grimshaw Dunville in the hills above Holywood to a design by celebrated architect of the day, Charles Lanyon. Here, the family enjoyed a life of incredible luxury with more than 60 rooms, a stable full of horses and an ornate garden. Servants catered for every need and now the Dunvilles have truly arrived.
Does every urban myth contain a kernel of truth? Rumours have been rife for years that a network of tunnels stacked with barrels of whiskey worth millions of pounds exist under Holywood in County Down. Local journalist Jordan Dunbar is on a mission to distil the truth of it all with the promise of commandeering some precious liquid gold. In this four-part escapade, Jordan learns about the celebrated Dunville family, whose wealth was built on their whiskey brand that became globally famous during the 19th century. It allowed the family to indulge in acts of opulence and eccentricity well into the 20th century. So, might that just include stacking tunnels full of whiskey barrels that have now been left unopened for decades? In a caper that features hot air balloons, private zoos and whiskey tours, Jordan discovers how the fate of the Dunvilles mirrored the fate of the Irish whiskey industry itself. Historian Robin Masefield give pause for thought on why the rumours of the whiskey in tunnels might just have to be taken seriously after all. But as Jordan increasingly gets into the ‘spirit’ of it all, can he get any closer to the elusive ‘uisce beatha?’
‘Peter Bergmann’ isn’t his real name. The Vienna address he gives at the hotel doesn’t exist. Bags seen on CCTV are never found, including a purple plastic bag he is seen with 13 times over three days. What was in it? Where did he empty it? And why all the secrecy?
Irish Times journalist Rosita Boland spent years investigating this case. She spoke to every witness she could think of, visited the hotel and the beach, determined to find out who this man really was. But 16 years later the mystery is yet to be solved.
Rosita joins Sarah McGlinchey over two episodes to guide her through that investigation. Could she, and the Gardaí, have missed something? Or is this a case that will never be solved? And what was in the plastic bag?
‘Peter Bergmann’ isn’t his real name. The Vienna address he gives at the hotel doesn’t exist. Bags seen on CCTV are never found, including a purple plastic bag he is seen with 13 times over three days. What was in it? Where did he empty it? And why all the secrecy?
Irish Times journalist Rosita Boland spent years investigating this case. She spoke to every witness she could think of, visited the hotel and the beach, determined to find out who this man really was. But 16 years later the mystery is yet to be solved.
Rosita joins Sarah McGlinchey over two episodes to guide her through that investigation. Could she, and the Gardaí, have missed something? Or is this a case that will never be solved? And what was in the plastic bag?