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

In this episode, host Niall is joined by Laoise Da Brun, Barrister-at-Law, and Karl Deeter, political commentator, to tackle a contentious legal and moral question: Should criminal convictions committed as a minor be wiped clean once a person reaches adulthood? The UK is now considering following Ireland’s approach, where most criminal offences committed under the age of 18 become spent after thre...

In this episode, Niall is joined by David Quinn, journalist and columnist with the Sunday Independent, for a challenging and wide-ranging conversation on Islamic extremism, public debate, and the growing confusion around what is — and is not — anti-Semitism. David argues that Islamic extremism remains one of the most difficult topics to discuss openly in Western societies. He suggests that fear of...

In this episode, Niall opens the phone lines after receiving an email that’s struck a nerve with pet lovers and budget-watchers alike. A listener says he’s literally in the doghouse after a blazing row with his wife — not over the kids or the mortgage, but over the dog. The dog in question is a 10-year-old Bichon Frise, and the wife has spent close to €200 on toys, clothes and even a Christmas sto...

Niall is joined by Ben Scallan from Gript Media for a wide-ranging conversation about the quiet but noticeable rise in Christianity among young people across the world — and how changing attitudes to faith are colliding with modern ideas about sex, identity, and self-worth. The discussion was sparked by comments made on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where American right-wing political commentator Nicho...

Niall opens the phone lines to callers today after an email from a frustrated father of two who says a recent change in management at his workplace has led to the scrapping of the annual Christmas bonus. For him, it’s more than just money — it’s about recognition. “It’s stingy and shows a lack of respect for staff not to give at least a week’s extra wages at Christmas,” he writes. So is he right?...

In this episode, host Niall dives into the government’s newly announced Digital Wallet and Age Verification Pilot, a scheme framed as a major step in protecting children online. But Niall isn’t buying the whole narrative. While he agrees that under-18s need better safeguards, he questions whether this “robust age-verification tool” is really just a backdoor for an EU-style digital ID. Joining him...

Is screening tourists’ social media legitimate security — or blatant authoritarianism? In this timely episode, host Niall sits down with American-born social commentator Karl Deeter to unpack the Trump administration’s controversial new proposal to make foreign tourists hand over up to five years of social media history before they can enter the United States. The idea, part of expanded immigratio...

On this episode Niall talks about : The British government is preparing to introduce next-generation surveillance cameras—systems engineered not only to capture images but to analyse movements, behaviour, and even emotional states in public spaces. Supporters say this leap in technology could revolutionise public safety: detecting suspicious activity before it escalates, identifying individuals wh...

On today’s episode host Niall opens the lines to listeners for a lively and thought-provoking discussion on a headline story that’s dividing opinion across Europe. Portugal has just joined Switzerland and eight other European nations in banning the burqa, niqab, and other cultural or religious face coverings in public spaces. The move has sparked intense debate: is it a necessary step toward socia...

On today’s show, Niall dives into one of the most talked-about government ads in years — a new TV campaign encouraging adult children to move back in with their parents. Is this a compassionate message about family support, or a not-so-subtle admission that housing has become completely unaffordable? This episode takes on the debate from both angles: Housing Crisis Reality: Is the government using...

On today’s episode, Niall sits down with Cormac Lucey, Economics Columnist with The Sunday Times (Ireland), for a frank and provocative conversation about the future of the European Union — and what it means for Ireland. Recent comments from Elon Musk and Donald Trump have reignited debate about whether the EU is heading for economic decline and social fragmentation. Are these warnings grounded in...

Today on the show, Niall dives into one of the most heated cultural and political debates of the week: RTÉ’s decision to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest while Israel remains a participant. The national broadcaster has confirmed it will neither take part in nor air the contest—a move that has sparked strong reactions across Ireland. Niall breaks down the arguments for and against the boycott. S...

In this episode, Niall sits down with Eilís Mulroy for an in-depth conversation about one of the most contentious aspects of Ireland’s abortion legislation: the mandatory three-day waiting period. Drawing on new data from the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), Niall and Eilís unpack the organisation’s findings that there is “no scientific support” for imposing a delay on anyone seeking abor...

On today’s show, Niall speaks with Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín following his fiery contribution in the Dáil yesterday — a speech that has already stirred intense debate nationwide. Tóibín claimed that members of the Government have become “brainwashed by trans activists” and that not one of them is willing to answer what he calls a “simple question”: “What is a woman?” In this candid conversation,...

Today, Niall opens the phone lines to tackle a dilemma many people quietly live with but rarely talk about openly. We received an email from a man who has spent twenty years in the same job. He feels undervalued, underpaid, and stuck—but with a wife and two children depending on his steady income, he’s terrified to take the leap and start his own business. His wife says go for it. Some of his frie...

This week, Niall sits down with Cllr. Albert Deasy for a frank and timely discussion on a question many Irish households are quietly asking this winter: Why can the Government find another €125 million for Zelenskyy and Ukraine, yet refuse to fund energy credits for its own citizens—citizens who are facing some of the highest energy bills in the world? While €125 million is being sent abroad, 1.8...

This week Niall takes calls from listeners — some angry, some sorrowful, some torn — about the holiday-time crackdown An Garda Síochána begins every December: Operation Live-saver. With drink-driving arrests spiking around the festive season, the stakes couldn’t be higher. One caller shared a tragic story: his daughter was killed by a drunk driver, and he demands far tougher consequences — at leas...

In today’s episode, Niall sits down with journalist and bestselling author Eoin — writer of Vandalising Ireland — to discuss one of the most contentious issues currently shaping Irish politics: the surge in asylum claims entering the Republic of Ireland via Northern Ireland. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan recently stated that almost 90% of asylum seekers arriving in the Republic are crossing the...

Niall opens the lines for a deeply divisive and emotional discussion sparked by an email from a worried listener. She says her next-door neighbour — a single mother of two young children, aged around 11 and 7 — leaves them home alone every weekday while she goes to work, sometimes not returning until after 6pm. The children come home from school, let themselves in, and stay unsupervised for hours....

Australia is set to become the first country in the world to ban under-16s from all social media. At first glance many people will say, “Great — it’s about time!” But how exactly do they plan to enforce it? Under the new system, anyone who wants to create an account on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, or any major platform will need to provide government-issued ID. What begins as...

In this episode, Niall is joined by social commentator Elaine Mullaly to unpack a striking new story that has sparked fear, debate, and soul-searching among parents across Ireland. The conversation centres on the Data Protection Commission’s dramatic new advert, part of its “Pause Before You Post” campaign, which warns about the dangers of “sharenting” — the habit many parents have of regularly sh...

Niall is Joined by John McGuirk (Gript Media) In this episode, Niall sits down with John McGuirk, Editor-in-Chief of Gript Media, to dive into one of Dublin’s most heated current controversies: the proposal by several Dublin councillors to rename Herzog Park — a small southside park named after Chaim Herzog, the Belfast-born Jewish man who grew up in Ireland and went on to become the 6th President...

On today’s show, Niall opens the lines to listeners after a heated debate broke out yesterday. One caller argued that any driver involved in a fatal road traffic accident caused by careless driving should automatically face manslaughter charges and go to jail. The comment split the audience. Some listeners agreed, saying Ireland’s penalties for dangerous or careless driving causing death are far t...

On today’s episode, host Niall sits down with Laura Perrin of Gript Media to unpack a tweet that has ignited a storm online. An American influencer sparked outrage among feminists by claiming: “There is a limited window of time for easy, healthy pregnancies. You can start a new career at 50.” Her message—suggesting that having children should take priority over a woman’s career—has reopened a pass...

Today on the show, Niall speaks with journalist and barrister Sarah Ryan about one of the most controversial issues in criminal justice today: mitigating circumstances — and whether it is fair on victims when perpetrators cite drug use, alcohol, mental illness or trauma to reduce a sentence. Together they explore why such defences exist, what legal and moral arguments support them — and whether th...