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

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...

In this powerful episode, Niall sits down with Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín to discuss the tragic case of nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt, who died at the end of July after waiting years for a scoliosis operation. Peadar outlines the failures in Ireland’s healthcare system that left Harvey without the care he desperately needed and explains why he is calling for then–Health Minister Simon Har...

In this episode, Niall opens the lines to discuss a hot-button issue: Child Benefit. Currently set at €140 a month per child and paid universally—regardless of income—this payment also increases for twins, triplets, and other multiple births. But should wealthier families earning over €100,000 a year still receive it? Or should that money be redirected to boost payments for low-income families ins...

In this episode, Niall puts the question to listeners — and to guest Karl Deeter — whether more investment in the Irish language is money well spent. The conversation kicks off with Deputy Ryan O’Meara’s proposal for a mandatory Gaeltacht course for all Leaving Cert students, aimed at boosting fluency and transforming attitudes towards Irish. Callers weigh in with a range of views: One argues that...

When a distressed parent emails Niall about her 20-year-old daughter joining OnlyFans, the phone lines light up. In the studio, Niall is joined by Samaria — an OnlyFans creator and performer — to unpack the controversy. Callers share raw, unfiltered views: Some say it’s empowering for women to control their image, set their own prices, and earn financial independence without traditional job constr...

In this thought-provoking episode, Niall speaks with the author of a recent article that questions the direction of Ireland’s education system—and, more broadly, our national identity. The discussion focuses on the updated early years curriculum Aistear, which curiously credits babies as participants in its development, and introduces the idea of raising “agentic global citizens.” Are we losing si...

In this heated and often hilarious episode, Niall opens the phone lines to listeners with one thing in common—they’ve all been clamped. Whether caught overstaying in a private car park or parking illegally on city streets, they share their stories of frustration, fury, and, in some cases, acceptance. Some callers vent about predatory private clamping companies, sky-high release fees, and the feeli...

In this episode of the show, Niall dives into one of Ireland's most controversial legislative proposals — the Occupied Territories Bill. The bill would ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move hailed by some as a powerful stand for human rights — and criticised by others as a dangerous gamble with Ireland’s economy and international trade. Is this a bold a...

In today’s thought-provoking episode, Niall opens the phone lines and asks a big question: Are zoos still relevant in the 21st century — or is it time we phased them out? As the debate heats up, callers from across the country weigh in with passionate and diverse opinions. 📞 One caller defends zoos, saying they play a vital role in conservation and education — giving children a chance to connect...

On today's show, Niall opens the phone lines to discuss a heated dilemma from a listener that's got families divided. After a tough year and tight finances, a husband surprises his wife with a fully paid two-week holiday to Alicante. Sounds perfect… until she realizes it’s just for the two of them — no kids. Now she's furious, calling it selfish and saying she’d never leave her children behind for...

In this thought-provoking episode, Niall sits down with barrister Dominic Wilkinson to unpack the current status of hate speech laws in Ireland and the growing pressure from the European Union to implement legislation that many see as controversial and deeply unpopular. Ireland has taken a step back from enacting full hate speech laws, opting instead to split the legislation from hate crime provis...