8. The Journal

Twenty years on, nobody has been convicted of the murder of Denis Donaldson. One potentially key piece of evidence, a journal he was supposedly writing around the time of his death, is being held by Irish police. His family wants it returned, but their efforts are unsuccessful.

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.