6. The Cottage

A journalist gets a tip that a political backroom man who’s just confessed to being a spy is living in the wilds of Donegal. He sets out to track him down and secure a major scoop.

The old, whitewashed stone cottage where the spy is living has a dark history that’s about to take another chilling turn.

Please note this programme was updated on 02/07/2026.

Following correspondence from Denis Donaldson’s family, and a further submission of details, this programme was amended on 2nd July 2026 to reflect the fact that a newspaper report by Hugh Jordan was published in a Belfast edition of the Sunday World prior to Mr Donaldson’s murder. This article did contain further detail about where Denis Donaldson was living in County Donegal. This programme has been edited to include pertinent information about that article.

Presenter: Martin McCann

Additional Voice: Nicolas Boulton

Produced by BBC Northern Ireland