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

Today on the show, Niall is joined by Karl Deeter and callers to debate a question that’s dividing opinion across Ireland: should the Gardaí be armed, and can we trust them with tasers? With Justin Kelly stepping into the role of Garda Commissioner, national security is firmly back on the agenda. Kelly—formerly Chief Superintendent of the Special Detective Unit—has warned about the growing threats...

In this thought-provoking episode, Niall is joined by journalist Ian O’Doherty to explore a timeless yet deeply divisive question: Would you fight for your country? Prompted by a recent survey of British men showing that only one in three would be willing to defend their nation if war broke out, the discussion ranges from the history of the Oxford Union “King and Country” debate of 1933 to the mod...

This week, Niall is joined by Eric Nelligan from Aontú to tackle a hot-button issue in Irish education: Should single-sex schools be a thing of the past? The debate reignites as St Joseph of Cluny Secondary School in Killiney welcomes male students for the first time in its 70-year history. With the Labour Party previously suggesting that all secondary schools should be co-educational, the questio...

In this episode, Niall is joined by Laura Perrins of Gript Media to explore why the Irish tricolour has become such a flashpoint in today’s political debates. With recent protests in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick marked by seas of Irish flags, Niall and Laura ask: why has a symbol of national pride become so divisive? Laura argues that flying the tricolour is a legitimate expression of Irish identity...

In this episode, Niall sits down with Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin to explore one of the biggest questions facing the Irish Church today: why has Mass attendance declined so dramatically over the past few decades? From the 85% of Irish Catholics attending weekly in 1990 to just 35% by 2018, the downward trend is undeniable. Bishop Nulty reflects on the challenges facing parishes, inc...

#492 RTE: Essential Service or Expensive Circus?

In this episode, host Niall sits down with social media commentator and election candidate Elaine Mullally to unpack the latest shocking revelations about Ireland’s health system. A new investigation has found that none of Ireland’s nine hospitals providing post-surgery breast cancer treatment have met the target of starting chemotherapy within eight weeks. In Letterkenny University Hospital, only...

This week on The Niall Report, host Niall dives into one of the hottest debates in Irish tourism: hotel pricing. Following Minister for Tourism Peter Burke’s criticism of “extortionate” room rates in Dublin during big events like the Oasis gigs and the US College Football Classic, the question arises — should the government step in to regulate prices, or should the free market decide? Joining Nial...

Host Niall is joined by John McGuirk from Gript Media to dive into the topic of the Leaving Certificate exams — a defining moment for generations of Irish students. With this year’s results freshly out, they reflect on how the exams shape futures, the pressure they put on students, and what those numbers really mean. Listeners are invited to call in and share their own Leaving Cert memories — the...

Today on the show, Niall asks a hot-button question: Are child-free zones discriminatory against parents and carers—or simply a fair choice for those seeking peace and quiet? The debate has been heating up in recent months. From airlines trialling child-free seating, to restaurants, pubs, and hotels advertising “no kids allowed,” the conversation has grown louder. Is this just catering to demand,...

On today’s show, Niall asks: Are we ready to swap cash for a digital euro—or should hard currency always have a place in our pockets? With the President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, confirming that key decisions on a digital euro are coming in September, and ECB President Christine Lagarde pushing for the euro to rival the dollar globally, the debate is heating up. Many of us already live ca...

Do grandparents have a duty to step in and help raise their grandkids—or are we putting too much pressure on them? In this episode, Niall takes calls from listeners on one of the most talked-about family dilemmas in Ireland today. Around half of Irish grandparents provide some level of childcare, often stepping in when working parents struggle with the soaring cost of crèches and after-school care...

On the show, Niall opens the phone lines to discuss a dilemma sent in by a listener who has started dating a man she really likes—handsome, kind, and a perfect gentleman—but with one big issue: their values couldn’t be further apart. She describes herself as progressive and pro-choice, while he’s a devout Catholic, strongly against abortion, skeptical of immigration, and openly disapproving of sam...

In this episode, host Niall sits down with columnist and journalist David Quinn to tackle one of Ireland’s most pressing social questions: Why are families having fewer children—and what can we do about it? According to Census 2022, the average number of children per family in Ireland is just 1.34, far below the replacement level of 2.3. What does this mean for Ireland’s future—our economy, our ag...

In this episode, Niall takes on a question that affects every generation: Should we scrap the retirement age and let people work as long as they want? With the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 moving through the Dáil, big changes could be on the way. Under the proposed law, employees would have the right to refuse retirement before the State Pension Age, and employers would need...

In this episode, host Niall chairs a lively and thought-provoking debate on the shifting media landscape in Ireland. He is joined by Gary Kavanagh, owner and editor of Gript Media, as well as a wide range of callers from across the country. Niall asks the central question: "Why have people stopped trusting the media in Ireland?" and follows it with the equally pressing concern: "If social media is...

In this episode, host Niall asks a sensitive but important question: "Is it selfish to have children over the age of 45?" With the average age for first-time parents steadily rising in Ireland and across the world, more women and men are starting families later in life. Advances in fertility treatments, shifting career priorities, and cultural changes have all contributed to this trend — but is so...

In this episode, host Niall sits down with former election candidate Elaine Mullaly to tackle one of the most debated issues facing Ireland today – healthcare. With listeners calling in throughout the show, the conversation explores two burning questions: 1️⃣ Is private healthcare worth paying for? Pros: Faster access to specialists, shorter waiting lists, and greater choice of hospitals and consu...

Host Niall is joined by Cormac Lucey, Chartered Accountant and Sunday Times economics columnist, to discuss his provocative piece, “The Government is Gaslighting Us Over Immigration.” In it, Lucey argues that political leaders are downplaying the pressures mass immigration is placing on housing, healthcare, schools, and infrastructure—despite Ireland’s population growing by 50% since 1990. With ca...

Host Niall is joined by John McGuirk, editor of Gript Media, to discuss a new taxi company in Belfast that’s making headlines for offering a women-only service with female drivers. The company claims the initiative will help women feel safer while traveling, but not everyone agrees. The phone lines light up as callers share their views: many women support the idea, saying it offers peace of mind,...

In this episode, host Niall opens the phone lines to hear what listeners think about the upcoming presidential election — and just how messy the campaign trail is likely to get. Should a candidate be judged for something they said 20 years ago, or should the focus remain on their views and actions today? Callers weigh in from all sides, sharing passionate arguments, personal perspectives, and real...

When Niall picks up the phone this week, he’s met with a caller in tears. Her beloved rescue Labrador, Max, snapped at her 6-year-old son—leaving only a small cut, but igniting a storm at home. Her husband says Max is dangerous and must be put to sleep. She says it was an isolated incident and that Max deserves a second chance. With the vet appointment looming, she turns to Niall for help. The pho...

Host Niall dives into one of the most controversial questions facing communities today: Should the public be informed if a convicted sex offender or paedophile moves into their area after release from prison? Inspired by laws like Megan’s Law in the United States, the phone lines light up with passionate callers eager to share their opinions. Some listeners argue that transparency is a matter of s...

In this episode, Niall tackles a controversial question: Should parents be fined when their children commit crimes? It comes as new figures show the number of children referred to the Irish Probation Service in 2024 hit its highest level in ten years — with 609 cases involving 12 to 17-year-olds, a 10% jump from the previous year. The rise is part of a wider trend of increasing youth crime, sparki...

On this episode, Niall dives into a question that’s dividing opinion: Has Ireland’s public transport gotten so bad that we now need a dedicated police force to patrol it? It follows news from Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien that recruitment for a new uniformed Transport Security Unit could start by the end of next year. The force would be separate from the gardaí but have powers of arrest, dete...