The Niall Boylan Podcast (They Told Me To Shut Up)

In this episode, Niall Boylan is joined by journalist Laura Perrins to debate whether the law is tough enough on young drivers who deliberately put innocent lives at risk. The discussion comes after a horrifying series of wrong way crashes in Ireland and Britain. Two weeks ago, eight teenagers travelling in a stolen car drove the wrong way onto the M50 before crashing head on into another vehicle,...

The Irish Government is considering tougher citizenship rules that could increase the standard residency requirement from five to eight years. Applicants may also have to demonstrate English proficiency, financial independence, good character and an ability to support themselves and their families. These are currently proposals being considered, rather than rules already in force. The Sunday Times...

Fewer Than 100 Points to College Lecturer: Are We Lying to Teenagers About the Leaving Cert? Niall talks to Cleo Knight, Ms Offaly 2026, who left school with fewer than 100 Leaving Certificate points believing she was not academic and that higher education was not for her. The only course she thought was available to her was jam-making, but Cleo had very different ambitions. Today, she is a Busine...

This week on Not Suitable For Broadcast, Niall Boylan is joined by Eddie Punch for a lively, opinionated and completely uncensored round-up of the stories that got Ireland talking. They begin with the horrific M9 tragedy, where five teenagers died after a stolen BMW was allegedly driven the wrong way along the motorway before colliding head-on with an innocent family. Niall and Eddie ask whether G...

In this episode, Niall talks to callers about a listener dilemma that has caused serious tension in one marriage, all over a beauty hamper. A husband contacted the show after winning a large beauty hamper at a work night out. During the celebrations, and after a few drinks, one of his female colleagues said how much she loved it, so he gave it to her. He thought nothing more of it until he told hi...

In this episode, Niall talks to financial commentator Karl Deeter about whether TikTok and social media are fuelling a new and deadly wave of joyriding, or whether politicians are looking for a convenient scapegoat following the horrific M9 tragedy. Five teenage males were killed in the early hours of Sunday, 16 August, after the car they were travelling in was driven the wrong way along the M9 ne...

The horrific crash on the M9 has shocked the country and left two very different sets of families facing unimaginable consequences. Five teenage boys died after the BMW they were travelling in was driven the wrong way along the M9 near Moone in Co Kildare and collided head on with a Hyundai carrying three women and a seven year old boy. Gardaí are continuing to investigate all of the circumstances...

New figures suggest Ireland’s relationship with the Catholic Church is continuing to change dramatically, with the annual number of Catholic baptisms across the island falling by around 30% over the past decade . In this episode, Niall speaks to Dr Tom Finegan, Chairman of The Iona Institute , whose organisation compiled the new figures, and Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland , to debate what is dr...

In this episode, Niall Boylan speaks to Daily Mail journalist Ken Murray about a controversial proposal from Reform UK that would force some long term welfare claimants to carry out 20 hours of community work every week in order to continue receiving their benefits. Under Reform UK’s proposed Welfare to Work scheme, people who have been unemployed for more than a year and are considered fit to wor...

In this episode, Niall Boylan speaks to journalist Laura Perrins about whether Ireland needs to fundamentally rethink who we send to prison and what prison is actually supposed to achieve. Ireland’s prisons are under enormous pressure. On 13 August 2026, 5,619 people were in custody across the State, with 339 prisoners sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Limerick Women’s Prison was operating at a...

Niall Boylan is joined by columnist and journalist Brenda Power to discuss the horrific M9 crash that has left five teenagers dead and four innocent members of one family seriously injured, including a seven year old boy. The latest information suggests the five teenagers were travelling in a stolen BMW and had allegedly been involved in attempted burglaries and car break ins in the Athy area earl...

Niall Boylan is joined by John Dallon, one of the leaders of the Dublin fuel protests earlier this year, and election candidate Eddie Punch, as motorists face another painful rise in petrol and diesel prices. From September 1, the first stage of the Government’s planned restoration of fuel taxes is due to add around 9c a litre to petrol and 10c to diesel, with the NORA levy also returning. At the...

This week on Not Suitable For Broadcast, Niall Boylan is joined once again by his former producer AJ Walsh for a fast, funny and unapologetically opinionated look back at some of the biggest talking points of the week. They ask whether the Government is genuinely expanding choice for women and families, or increasingly looking down on traditional marriage, motherhood and stay at home parenting. Th...

In this episode, Niall Boylan speaks to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín about the rising cost of fuel and the Government’s plans to unwind reductions in excise duty from September. Tóibín says the Government is on course to collect around €1.7 billion in VAT on fuel this year, approximately €238 million more than last year , while motorists are still struggling with the cost of living. He also warns th...

On today’s show, Niall Boylan talks to podcaster Elaine Mullally about a family dilemma sent in by a listener who fears she and her husband are being taken advantage of by their own son. Their 25-year-old son, his girlfriend and their two-year-old child moved into the family home so they could save for a place of their own. They pay no rent, and the grandparents regularly babysit while the young c...

If you woke in the middle of the night and discovered a burglar inside your home, with your family asleep upstairs, how far should you be legally allowed to go to protect them? In this episode, Niall talks to Councillor Gavin Pepper about the rights of homeowners to defend themselves, their families and their property when an intruder enters their home. Last year, Ireland recorded 8,469 burglary a...

Where should Ireland draw the line between free speech and hate speech? In this episode, Niall talks to callers and Tomas O’Reilly, a Brussels based policy adviser and journalist whose work has previously appeared in Euronews and The European Conservative. Tomas currently works as a policy adviser in the European Parliament. The discussion comes as a new official report highlighting racism and dis...

Is Irish Tourism in Trouble? Paul Treyvaud on Prices, Hotels and the Real Visitor Numbers Ireland’s tourism industry has still not clearly returned to the levels we were seeing before the pandemic, and despite signs of a recovery during 2026, questions remain about how healthy the sector really is. In this episode, Niall is joined by restaurateur and podcaster Paul Treyvaud to ask a simple questio...

Blood Is Thicker Than Water: But Should Family Loyalty Have Limits? We all know the saying, “Blood is thicker than water”, the idea that family comes first and that, no matter what happens, you stand by your own. But should that loyalty ever have limits? In this episode, Niall is joined by Karl Deeter to debate just how far family loyalty should go, especially when someone you love has done someth...

Niall talks to Eddie Punch, former European election candidate for Independent Ireland, about Revenue’s growing crackdown on Ireland’s black economy and asks whether ordinary people should be reporting neighbours, tradespeople and local businesses they suspect of working cash in hand. Revenue has pursued more than €10.5 million from suspected black market activity over the past 18 months, targetin...

IS THE GOVERNMENT AT WAR WITH THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY? Niall talks to journalists David Quinn and Brenda Power about the Government’s National Strategy for Women and Girls and what it says about gender roles, marriage, motherhood, careers and the traditional family. The strategy challenges what it describes as patriarchal norms, including the traditional expectation of men as breadwinners and women...

On this week’s Not Suitable for Broadcast, Niall is joined by his former producer AJ Walsh for a fast moving mix of politics, money, family life, housing and a remarkable story of determination. They begin with Donald Trump’s expected visit to Ireland and the political backlash already surrounding it. With protests being planned and some politicians saying the US President is not welcome, Niall an...

Niall speaks to Councillor Gavin Pepper and a local resident from Scribblestown about controversial plans to build a new town at Dunsink in north Dublin. Fingal County Council’s draft Dunsink Urban Area Plan proposes the construction of 18,500 homes for a population of more than 46,000 people on over 1,000 acres of land beside Finglas, Ashtown, Castleknock and Blanchardstown. Most of the homes wou...

Niall talks to Eric Nelligan School Teacher about the fact more than two thirds of parents say they are worried about the cost of school uniforms this year, according to Barnardos’ Back to School Survey 2026. The online survey gave 704 parents the opportunity to share their concerns about the financial pressures they face as children return to school this autumn. Some people believe school uniform...

Niall speaks to financial commentator Karl Deeter about whether Ireland should introduce compulsory voting and require every eligible citizen to participate in elections. The debate has recently emerged in Britain after Jacob Rees-Mogg said compulsory voting appeared to be becoming a new political battleground, with the idea reportedly supported by think tanks close to Prime Minister Andy Burnham....