Episode 155: How cocaine is changing the face of rural Ireland

Loyalist paramilitary Winston ‘Winkie’ Rea died this week days after his wife Liz passed away denying justice to the families of his victims, innocent Catholic men John Devine and John O’Hara. Rae leaves behind a legacy of violence and death along with a lengthy interview confessing to his crimes which formed part of the infamous Boston Tapes. Nicola speaks with Belfast Telegraph Crime correspondent Allison Morris about Rea and the contents of those tapes which she will be revealing in a series of dispatches in the coming weeks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fate of the crew of the MV Matthew will be played out in court in the coming years as the State makes moves to seize the highly valuable ship. But those who organised the doomed cocaine plot should have considered an earlier plan to use Ireland’s coastline - and one that went spectacularly wrong? Nicola speaks to Eamon Dillon and Niall Donald about the infamous undoing of the crew of the Lucky Day and a bit of bad luck on Dunlough Bay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Special security has been put in place for a man who has been falsely identified on social media as the suspect of last week’s stabbing of children outside a Dublin school. The photograph and other details were widely shared after the publication of an article by the online new outlet Gript which has since removed the story which blamed the wrong man. Gript have also issued a statement alleging that their original reporting was sourced from a member of an Garda Siochana and backed up by a senior justice official - a move not usual by journalists who have a strong code of ethics to protect their sources. Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about the fallout from the situation, the effects of incorrect reporting and the job of mainstream media to remain controlled and accurate in the face of high emotions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A melee at the funeral of a gangland victim, two men injured and taken to hospital and another incidence of shocking violence in a city being seen as lawless. Nicola speaks with Niall Donald as they update listeners on the funeral of gun victim Brandon Ledwige which spilled over into a frightening fight involving a wheel brace and knives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The funeral of Brandon Ledwidge saw masked youths on motorbikes mount pavements in Finglas this week as a village was brought to a standstill. The 23-year-old murder victim who was shot dead at his front door earlier this month was laid to rest in a steel American-style casket with groups of young men wearing t-shirts designed with the dead man's face. Ledwidge is understood to have been killed after rowing with a local gangland figure and ignoring orders around drug dealing. Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about the brutal death of a street dealer and about the problems for communities living at the coal face of the crack cocaine epidemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.