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The State of Us

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This podcast has
186 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
BBC Sounds
Explicit
No
Date created
2025/04/30
Latest episode
2026/10/22
Average duration
16 min.
Release period
3 days

Description

In the summer of 2020, 14-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast. Six days later his body was found in a storm drain. Questions about his disappearance and death have dominated headlines for the last five and a half years. The inquest into Noah's death will, for the first time, lay out the facts and evidence in this case. In this special series from The State of Us podcast, Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take you inside the courtroom, bringing you the evidence as it unfolds each day. Contact [email protected]

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How we make court podcasts
2026/10/22
As a preview to The State of Us live show at the Belfast Media Festival in November Tara Mills and Declan Harvey take an in-depth look at the popularity of court podcasts. Why are people so fascinated with the detail from inside trials and inquests. Register here to be in the audience on November 10th belfastmediafestival.co.uk.
11. Provisional IRA & police notes
2026/10/20
The outcome of the most recent legal challenge of the decisions on the Drumcree march will be revealed next week. Today, lawyers for Garvaghy Road residents said they should not be conflated with dissident republicans. The PSNI’s barrister said mentions of the Provisional IRA were outside the confines of this case, and concerns should be taken up with the Policing Board.
9. ‘Seismic’ court ruling
2026/10/20
Garvaghy Road residents lost their bid to challenge the Parades Commission's decision in the Court of Appeal today. What arguments were made? Why did the right to march win out? And what does this ruling mean for other Orange Order parades across Northern Ireland?
10. Threats from paramilitaries
2026/10/19
Police intelligence found dissident republicans may have mounted gun attacks on officers had they cleared a path for a parade on the Garvaghy Road. Loyalist paramilitaries were also "depicting signs of frustration". The intelligence was revealed at Belfast High Court today, where Sir Chris Bryant’s decision to ban the contentious parade is being challenged by the Portadown Orange Order.
22. The sentencing of Jeffrey Donaldson
2026/10/15
A special programme from The State of Us podcast. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey report on the fifteen year prison sentence handed down to Jeffrey Donaldson for child sex abuse. The former DUP leader was convicted in June of rape, gross indecency and indecent assault of two women when they were children. The programme hears what the judge said to the sixty three old former MP and knight of the realm, and also hears statements from the two victims and the police.
8. Bryant bans parade
2026/10/10
The Secretary of State  says his decision to ban the Orange Order’s Drumcree parade was taken in the best interests of peace. His action came after an agreement couldn’t be reached between the Portadown District Lodge and the Garvaghy Road residents. Sir Chris Bryant said he received advice from the Chief Constable that allowing the march down the mainly nationalist area could lead to serious injury, disorder and wider unrest. The State of Us hears more about what prompted his decision, gets reaction from those involved  and asks what happens next.
Trial of the facts: A survivor's story
2026/10/07
Eleanor Donaldson’s trial of the facts earlier this year, as part of her husband Jeffrey Donaldon’s sex abuse case, brought a complicated legal process into the headlines. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey explain in detail what a trial of the facts is, and why it can be difficult for victims and survivors to navigate. They also hear from a woman whose abuser faced a trial of the facts last year and why she wants changes to the system.
7. Back in court
2026/10/05
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in a bid by Garvaghy Road residents to challenge a decision to allow a controversial Orange Order parade down the predominantly nationalist road. Three judges listened to almost four hours of legal arguments inside a packed courtroom in Belfast. The deadlock over the proposed march in Portadown has lasted since the 27th of September. Declan Harvey and Tara Mills report on today’s developments and ask what happens next ?
6. The new legal battle lines
2026/09/30
As the Garvaghy Road residents prepare to head back to the Court of Appeal on Friday we learn more about what police told the Parades Commission before its determination. Tara Mills and Declan Harvey discuss the latest twists in the dispute over the contentious Drumcree march, including some straight-talking remarks from the PSNI chief constable and how an AI image has generated some controversy.
5. Was the law broken?
2026/09/29
First Minister Michelle O’Neill has been reported to the police by the Orange Order for attending a protest blocking the Garvaghy Road. What is the law on ‘spontaneous’ protests?
4. Rules v Reality
2026/09/28
What are the rules around marching and policing. How do they play out in reality, do they apply to everyone and who enforces them? Tara Mills and Declan Harvey shed more light on the standoff at Drumcree.
3. Inside the court battle
2026/09/27
How the courts gave the Drumcree march the go ahead. After the Parades Commission’s decision to allow the march, Garvaghy Rd residents and the Portadown Orange Order took their dispute to court. An overnight 15-hour legal battle ensued.
21. Victims face Donaldson
2026/09/25
A special series from The State of Us podcast. The two women Jeffrey Donaldson abused as children came to court today, as his prison sentence was discussed. He will be sentenced in October. Eleanor Donaldson has been asked to attend court at a later date to hear the outcome of the verdict in her trial of the facts.
2. Drumcree Now
2026/09/25
The Parades Commission has given the Garvaghy Road march the go ahead after 28 years. We explore the arguments that tipped the scale.
1. Drumcree Then
2026/09/23
How did the Drumcree dispute bring Northern Ireland to a standstill? Tara Mills and Declan Harvey explain how it all began.

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